Following the second India vs New Zealand Twenty20 in Rajkot, Dhoni had come under the scanner with the likes of VVS Laxman and Ajit Agarkar asking him to make way for the youngsters. He was criticized and trolled by many for playing slow innings when the team had to score more than 12 an over.
Despite scoring 49 off just 37 deliveries, he was guilty of playing too many dot balls early on in his knock which kept the fluent Virat Kohli away from the strike. Since then, former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been the subject of intense debate.
In Dhoni’s defense, skipper Virat Kohli has made a strong argument saying that “people need to be a bit more patient”. Dhoni also got the backing of coach Ravi Shastri. But all these while, the Ranchi man has been keeping a dignified silence.
While the talks of MS Dhoni future of international cricket refuse to slow down, the former India skipper has finally broken his silence on the debate. MS Dhoni has finally opened up on the criticism he faced during the series against New Zealand. However, the cool and calm cricketer feels that the views of everyone have to be respected.
Dhoni is currently in Dubai where he is inaugurating his global cricket academy. This is one of Dhoni’s first steps towards giving back something to the game that has given him everything. In Dubai, Dhoni was asked to respond to those that claim he has passed his best and should maybe consider walking away from the game.
“Everybody has views in life and it should be respected,” he said. He also cleared that playing for the country is the biggest motivation for him.
“It is representing the country which is the best motivation for me because we play cricket for only a span of time. You can play for one year to 15 years, some play 20 years, but in the lifespan, let’s say you live for 70 years, 10 to 15 years is nothing and that’s the only time you can proudly say that I’m representing my country. The biggest motivation is being part of the Indian cricket team,” the world’s best finisher concluded in style.
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After many former cricketers criticized MS Dhoni’s performance, he received the backing of Sunil Gavaskar who, while respecting the opinions of Laxman and Agarkar, questioned why Dhoni was being singled out for India’s defeat in Rajkot. In a storied career, Dhoni has played 90 Tests, 309 ODIs, and 83 T20Is. He also helped India lift two World Cup trophies.
Dhoni, 36, quit Test cricket three years ago and stepped down as the captain of limited overs sides in January this year.
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