Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has opened up about the factors that led to his decision to retire from international cricket. He disclosed that his choice to retire was shaped by India’s loss to New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup semifinal, as he had already decided after that match that it would be his last game in India colors.
In the 13 months following India’s heartbreaking defeat in the 2019 World Cup semifinal, Dhoni noticeably distanced himself from the cricketing scene. He finally confirmed his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020.
Speaking at an event in Bengaluru, MS Dhoni shared the details of the moment he chose to retire, saying, “It’s hard to control your emotions after losing a close game. At that point, I had already made up my mind. To me, that was the last day I played cricket for India. I officially retired a year later, but that day was when I retired. Cricketers are provided with various machines, and I used to return them after our matches. The trainer told me to keep the machine, but I knew I wouldn’t need it anymore. I didn’t want to announce my retirement at that time.”
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Dhoni explained the emotional turmoil he experienced, saying, “All I had done for the past 12-15 years was play cricket, and then there was no chance to represent my country. There are only a few who get the opportunity to do so. Once I retired from cricket, I couldn’t represent my country anymore, and I couldn’t bring any more glory. These thoughts were going through my mind.”
Despite retiring from international cricket, Dhoni remains an active player for the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. In 2023, he led the team to their fifth IPL title, despite being hampered by a knee injury that limited his batting appearances. Dhoni assured his fans that he would make a comeback in the IPL in 2024. Following CSK’s fifth IPL victory, he underwent knee surgery.
