Yuvraj Singh has his say on MS Dhoni’s retirement rumours

MS Dhoni’s future in international cricket has been a subject of intense speculation since the conclusion of the ICC World Cup in July.

The rumours surrounding MS Dhoni’s retirement has been dominating headlines for quite some time now and former Indian cricket team all-rounder Yuvraj Singh believes that the situation is quite unfair to Dhoni. Yuvraj believes that Dhoni has ‘done so much’ for Indian cricket and he should be one taking the call on his career. Dhoni’s future in international cricket has been a subject of intense speculation since the conclusion of the ICC World Cup in July and the 38-year-old himself has been on a sabbatical for more than months.

A file photo Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni. (PTI)

“I think it’s unfair to him. The guy (Dhoni) has done so much for Indian cricket. He has been the most successful Indian captain, so you got to give him time,” Yuvraj said on Monday. “He needs to decide when he wants to go out. He needs to take that call. If he wants to still play, that’s his call and we need to respect that,” he added.

READ: Bumrah ruled out, Umesh named as replacement in India’s Test squad

Yuvraj also said that one should refrain from comparing young India wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant with MS Dhoni. “MS Dhoni was not made in a day. It took a few years so it will take a few years for a replacement also. There is one year to go for the T20 World Cup so that is still a long time,” he said.

“Yes, he has been given a number of chances but how do you get the best out of him. The people monitoring him in the team -- the coaches, the captain -- can make a lot of difference,” said Yuvraj.

Pant has long been touted as Dhoni’s replacement behind the stumps for India. While his talent is acknowledged by many, he has come under significant criticism in his short career over the ways in which he gets dismissed and a perceived lack of ability to put value on his wicket.

(With agency inputs)