KOLKATA: On a day when the nation celebrated its 74th Independence Day with much reticence owing to the Coronavirus pandemic, one of its most decorated sons bid adieu to international cricket on Saturday evening. A career spanning 15 years and two World Cup wins,
Mahendra Singh Dhoni signed off in his inimitable style via just an Instagram post.
"Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. From 1929 hrs consider me as Retired."
Dhoni's post finally put an end to all the speculations that had been rife about his future after India's unexpected exit from the World Cup last year after a semifinal loss against New Zealand. Under the lens for the past couple of years owing to his waning powers with the willow, the former skipper put the all-important question to rest with his sudden announcement on social media.
While the Jharkhand icon's decision to depart from the international arena left his fans on social media take the nostalgic plunge, the state's chief minister
Hemant Soren appealed to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (
BCCI) to organize a farewell match as a tribute to Dhoni, in Ranchi, so that his followers might get to see him don the India blue for one final time.
However, putting all speculations to rest, former IPL chairman
Rajeev Shukla
stated on Sunday that no such farewell match would be organized as
MS Dhoni himself never asked for it. "Dhoni never expressed any will to the BCCI for a farewell match for him. Since he never raised it, there is no question of any such match," Shukla was quoted as saying by a news agency.
The Jharkhand State Cricket Association though stated that they have not yet thought on those lines but will do so during their AGM (Annual General Meeting) on August 30. "We have not yet thought on those lines but when our CM has expressed such a wish then we will discuss this with our managing committee during the AGM," said JSCA secretary Sanjay Sahay.
Sahay also stated that felicitating the former India captain was definitely on their mind but will have to take the current situation of pandemic into cognizance.
"Definitely it (felicitation programme) will happen. Owing to the pandemic this year we could not have the annual prize distribution function at the JSCA. Once we settle on when we can organize our annual programme, he will be called and felicitated. We are sure of doing it," said Sahay.
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