Mahendra Singh Dhoni - a champion forever, bids adieu to the international arena in a flash just like his stumping

Every player inevitably has to put a brake on his journey someday. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not an exception to that. Everyone knew that it was coming. But only he knew when. The speculation got louder after he was not found in the selector's radar for the upcoming tour Down Under at the end of this year. With the much-awaited IPL knocking at the door, it was typical to concentrate on the preparation for it rather than to focus on your retirement decision. But MSD was and will be unique, which made him what he is today. He could have taken this decision immediately after he fell painfully short of the crease by few inches and failed to take India over the line in the semi-final of ICC World Cup in 2019 against New Zealand. That would have been orthodox. But he never followed the traditional path. The decision is sudden but firm. He took the Instagram platform to announce his retirement on 15th August 2020. He stated as ".from 1929 hrs consider me as Retired". What is the mystery behind "1929 hrs"? It is speculated that the clock showed 19.29 when India was beaten to New Zealand in that match, his final appearance in the color of blue. It reminds us of his shocking retirement announcement from Test cricket in the middle of a series against Australia. He shared his thoughts only with his ever-dependable deputy Suresh Raina, who also followed his captain's footsteps and retired from the international cricket. With this, we take the opportunity to congratulate the greatest wicket-keeper batsman and one of the most successful captains of the country for his achievement and contribution towards the Indian cricket and wish him a very prosperous life for his future endeavor.

If we go down to our memory lane in early 2000, it was the time when Indian selectors were searching for a fitting replacement of Nayan Mongia, who was sidelined due to match-fixing allegation. Prior to that, runs from the wicket-keeper was thought merely as bonus runs. The legendary wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, along with Mark Boucher, redefined the role of wicket-keeper from being a figure behind the stump to an integral part of the batting order. India tried a lot of options through Saba Karim, Ajay Ratra, Sameer Dighe, Deep Dasgupta, but none was able to raise the occasion. They were forced to use Rahul Dravid as the stop-gap wicket-keeper. Dhoni, who used to switch between being an attacking wicket-keeper batsman and a job at Kharagpur's Railway Station, suddenly came into notice of the Indian selectors. He hit a colossal six in a Ranji match towards the direction of the selectors watching the game, which eventually make his way to the Indian team.

His introduction was no less drama. His debut series against Bangladesh in 2004 was pretty average with an embarrassing duck in the first match. He got the backing of the-then captain Sourav Ganguly and got selected in the next series against Pakistan. He did justice to his selection. In the second match of the series in Vizag, everyone was shocked by his promotion to No. 3 but mesmerized with his blistering innings of 148 off 123 balls. This inning marked the kick-off of an incredible journey of a nonchalant guy with long hair from Jharkhand. It was the record for the highest score by an Indian wicket-keeper, a record he re-wrote before the end of the year. He slammed 183 runs off 145 balls against Sri Lanka in Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium, an innings that only can be described as ruthless. It stood as the record for the highest individual score in ODI cricket in the second innings till seven years. It was an innings of authority that announced his entry to rule the world of cricket. After a series of belligerent knocks that helped India to secure multiple series, he overtook Ricky Ponting as number one in the ICC ODI Rankings, becoming the fastest batsman to do so in just 42 innings.

He suddenly brought back to reality after a few low batting performances led to criticism. India's performance dipped substantially in DLF Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, ODI series against South Africa in 2006, which resulted in embarrassing defeats. But the ultimate thrashing came when India was knocked out of the World Cup 2007 in the first round. The humiliating defeat against Bangladesh in the opening match haunted the fans for a long period. The team was brutally criticized for their disappointing performance. The team built with raw talents was massacred by the autocratic nature of the coach, Greg Chappell. The team hit rock bottom, and Dhoni was no exception to that. The outraged crowd vandalized his under-construction house.

With arguably the darkest phase of his career looming over his head, he was handed over A-grade contract by BCCI and appointed as Vice Captain for the ODI series on the tour of England. The table turned when he was appointed as the captain for the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 in South Africa. Out of everyone's surprise, India was crowned as the world champion. He redeemed himself as a player. This is the first showdown where you can see his out-of-the-box approach. In the tensed bowl-out against Pakistan, two out of three bowlers bowled were part-timers. Again, in the final match, he chose inexperienced Joginder Sharma over Harbhajan Singh for the last over. It paid off heavily. Another feather added to his cap when he successfully led the team to win the away ODI series against Australia in 2008. With success coming thick and fast, this man started to put his footstep in the world of cricket as one of the greatest.

He never had to look back from here. Team India won the ODI series against host when touring New Zealand. From topping the ICC ODI batting ranking to becoming the captain and wicket-keeper of World ODI XI in 2009, he started to rise the steps at a tremendous pace. He reached the peak when the team won ICC World Cup 2011 under his leadership. The iconic picture of Dhoni hitting a six and finishing off in style in the Wankhede Stadium will always remain kindled in the mind of the Indian fans. In 2013, he captained the winning Indian team in the ICC Champions Trophy and became the only captain to win all ICC silverware.

His test career was also a shining one. Although, it doesn't match the height of his accomplishment in limited over game. Nevertheless, it is a showcase of some unique feats which many of his predecessors were unable to achieve. He led the team to first away test series win against New Zealand since 1968. His valiant and gritty batting effort with the tail saved India from the jaw of defeat against England in the Lord's in 2007. Although he got the luck and the bad light on his side, it doesn't fade his brilliance by any means. He is the most capped wicket-keeper with most runs scored in Test for India. He is the only Indian player from behind the stump with a double ton in his name. In 2009, he led the Indian team to number one position for the first time in the ICC Test rankings. In 2013, under his captaincy, India became the first team in more than 40 years to whitewash Australia in a Test series. He bagged the most number test wins as a captain for India.

People will remember him as one of the legends of cricket. However, he started the career as a goalkeeper and used his skill when he was sent to play as a wicket-keeper for a local club. Slowly, he shifted his focus towards cricket. From being a traveling ticket examiner in Kharagpur Railway Station in West Bengal, he became one of the finest finishers of the limited over version (Average while chasing - 102.71) due to talent and tenacity. Now, he passed the baton to his successor, Virat Kohli. He still holds the best batting average while chasing. His stats speak for himself about his batting artistry. He is one of the successful leaders in IPL, holder of most number of stumping in ODI yet a very decent and cool-headed person the cricket world will ever see. He is known for his sportsmanship spirit. His brilliant cricket brain has gifted many trophies to his country. His accuracy in taking DRS was unparalleled.

With him see off the international arena, all eyes will be on this man in the upcoming IPL. He has left behind an unmatched legacy. The No.7 jersey should get permanently retired to honor his contribution to the Indian cricket.

Image Source:

https://www.mykhel.com/cricket/2011-world-cup-this-is-what-happened-to-ms-dhoni-s-bat-which-used-in-final-141038.html

https://news.sky.com/story/ms-dhoni-retires-indian-cricket-legend-quits-international-game-12050011

https://sportsbeatsindia.com/thala-ms/

https://www.thequint.com/sports/cricket-stats/ms-dhoni-career-stats-records-team-india-retirement

https://www.walpaperlist.com/2020/01/4k-ultra-hd-ms-dhoni-quotes-wallpaper.html