End of era? Dhoni not given central contract
MUMBAI: Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was not given a central contract by the Indian cricket board on Thursday, suggesting that his time as an international cricketer may be over, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) awarded annual contracts to 27 Indian cricketers for the upcoming season, and Dhoni -- he had a Grade A contract (~5 crore) in 2019 – was not on the list for the first time since the system was introduced.
The decision fed into speculation surrounding the future of Dhoni, one of cricket’s modern greats. Since the end of the 2019 World Cup, Dhoni, 38, has not played any professional match.
One of the people cited above said that Dhoni has already told the BCCI he does not want to play international cricket any longer.
“He does not want to play, and we’re already aware of that,” a top BCCI official told HT, asking not to be named. The official also indicated that the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) – scheduled to begin in March, and in which Dhoni leads the Chennai Super Kings -- may be his last.
A second official suggested that Dhoni was unlikely to make any announcement on his retirement from international cricket because CSK wants him to play the IPL while still an international cricketer.
On Thursday, not long after the contracts were announced, Dhoni added to the intrigue by turning up at a practice session with the Jharkhand Ranji Trophy team in his hometown Ranchi. Sanjay Sahay, secretary of the Jharkhand State Cricket Association, confirmed that Dhoni was at the nets with the state team.
“MS Dhoni has come for practice with the Ranji team, and he will be with the team for the next two-three days before they face off against Uttarakhand,” Sahay said. He did not confirm if Dhoni would play that match.
Dhoni and his manager were unavailable for comment despite several calls and text messages.
While some experts argued that his practice with the Jharkhand team was a sign that Dhoni was willing to fight for a place in the Indian team, others said that it was preparation for the IPL.
India’s national coach Ravi Shastri, when asked about Dhoni’s future in the Indian team in December 2019, said that the next IPL season may answer
that question. “If Dhoni plays well in the IPL then he does put himself in contention [to return to the Indian team in time for the T20 World Cup],” Shastri said. The T20 World Cup will be held in Australia this October.
Last October, India’s current chief selector MSK Prasad indicated that the team management was focusing on Rishabh Pant as a permanent replacement for Dhoni post the 2019 World Cup.
“Our thought process is clear that post-world Cup we are focusing on Rishabh Pant only,” Prasad told a news conference.
BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly – who both captained and was captained by Dhoni during his playing days – also did not comment.
Just before taking over as the president of the board, Ganguly had offered his comments on Dhoni’s future.
“I am sure he has communication with the selectors. He has had conversations with the team management… He is at that stage of his career where he has to evaluate where he stands. Dhoni has to make this decision,” Ganguly said at the time.
A former India captain and chief selector, Dilip Vengsarkar, said he wasn’t surprised at Dhoni’s exclusion from the contracts list.
“The benchmark is the same for everyone. You have to play to be selected,” he said.
Dhoni decided to stop playing Test cricket in 2014, but continued to be a key member of the one-day international and Twenty20 teams.