So … MSD called it a day finally on 15^th of August at 1929 hours with a “MAIN PAL DO PAL…..” song. As anyone could have expected from the Captain Cool … this decision came in an unexpected and undramatised manner. He not getting a farewell match and having a PAINFUL last match will hurt us all but well … that’s it.

The Legacy

The legacy that MS Dhoni is leaving behind is not just about the runs he scored as a batsman, stumpings he did as a keeper or matches he won as a captain … more than any of that it will always be about the IMPACT.

Didn’t got it … let me elaborate … many captains have came and went, having great run of records and trophies, but I don’t remember any other captain who was ‘constantly’ building the team with so much perfection that even after his retirement from tests, resignation from captaincy and finally retirement from limited overs … not for once it seemed that we don’t have the team or the players to compete at the top level.

It was just because MSD was mixing youngsters along with the senior players with so much mastery that never did the team seemed too ‘Old’ nor did it looked too ‘Inexperienced’ even for once, as a result today we have not just a strong team but an even stronger bench strength and line up of players. Any other captain or a big player whenever retired or resigned … a huge void was felt in the team, but it can only be DHONI who even didn’t allowed his void to be felt.

Did  COVID robbed his chances … ?????

A 100% … in my opinion. In an interview to writer BORIA MAJUMDAR MSD revealed that by Jan(2020) he will start practising again and if he is able to find his form and most importantly fitness at par level in IPL he may give it a shot in T20WC 2020 in Oct. But just as COVID hit severely in march … IPL training camps were lifted and everyone was packed inside their houses. Now … even though IPL is happening somehow … T20WC is more than a year away.

Waiting for so long would have been extremely troubling for MSD as neither his form nor his fitness would have helped him for that long. Also … we should remember he didn’t played any match post WC so would he have again taken a break post IPL2020 till IPL2021 … situation would have became even more confusing for everyone. So I think it was good of him to call it as I also accept as his Fan that he was not in that best version of himself that he once used to be in. Just if his last match would have been more memorable the smile on our faces would have been wider. So we have got one more reason to hate this bloody Virus.

 

Memories Forever

The biggest childhood memory for anyone of this generation would be the Six MSD hit at Wankhede to win us our 2^nd WC. Other than that winning that lost match against Bangladesh by 1 run and the finishing six at Wankhede will always be fresh in my mind. I didn’t. But as a Captain … the lessons I will remember forever …yes calmness, presence of mind are there at it’s place. But, what standouts for me is his confidence and not giving up attitude in tough situations .

Can you imagine he was handed over the captaincy of a team which failed to go even in the second round of the recently concluded WC back then and all senior players had backed out of participating in the T20WC. Guess what … MS Dhoni made that team win the tournament that too on foreign soil.

Remember the 2011 tours of ENG and AUS, remember how badly was India whitewashed and everybody wanted MS DHONI to resign as captain though the reason of defeat were various. Not only he didn’t resigned, but from that point he built a team with a set of young players that eventually won the CHAMPIONS TROPHY in 2013 in England only.

The biggest statement given by a sportsperson in my opinion has been – “As a Captain you are already holding the trophy for extra 1 minute so after that there is no point holding it further … give it to the newest member of the squad who may or may not get the opportunity to hold it again”. This statement he gave when he was asked why he is always standing behind in the trophy celebration.

Good Bye Mahi Bhai … !!!!!

So … finally I again bid adieu to you MS Dhoni. Thank you for everything you did for our team, our country and of course our city … making every ‘Ranchi Wala’ proud forever. I can proudly say one thing that MS Dhoni is the greatest Captain ever and greatest ODI cricketer EVER … yes EVER EVER EVER. Just winning matches is not everything … with what kind of team you end up winning it also matters. And if we combine Batting, Wicketkeeping and Captaincy together there is NO ONE absolutely no one who can even come close to The MSD.

 

So … finally before signing off I would just wish you a happy post retirement life Lieutenant Colonel MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI. You will always be Our Captain.

                   JAI HIND

           ARUNESH SINHA