5 reasons why MS Dhoni should retire after the ICC World T20 2016

The clamour over MS Dhoni's place in the Indian team is growing louder by the dayThere have been many talks and discussions about MS Dhoni’s retirement from the shorter formats, but he has repeatedly refused to clarify anything about it. With the emergence of Virat Kohli as a captain-in-waiting, there has been growing pressure on Dhoni to step down.Statistically, Dhoni has very good numbers in his pocket which prove him to be one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen of the world. There are several ifs and buts about his retirement, and it won’t be easy to fill the void in the team whenever he leaves. But there are also some definite advantages that could come through his retirement for the Indian team, which are explained in the following slideshow.

#1 India need a well-settled wicket-keeper for the WC 2019

Who will be the long term replacement for Dhoni?

There is no doubt that MS Dhoni is the best wicket-keeper batsman India has ever had. The fluency and accuracy of his stumpings and catches behind the wickets can mesmerize any cricket fan.

But the question is, how long can Dhoni stick to his role as a wicketkeeper in the current ODI team, considering the World Cup of 2019?

Approximately three years are left for the next ODI World Cup, and the Indian team hasn’t found a perfect future replacement for Dhoni. Though Wriddhiman Saha has been the best of the domestic wicket-keepers that India have, he is nowhere near the capabilities of Dhoni as a finisher.

Therefore, India have to start experimenting with wicket-keepers who can do the slog hitting in the last few overs and finish the game. The likes of Sanju Samson and Naman Ojha need more exposure to international cricket so that they don’t have to take the most critical responsibility in the team at the 11th hour before the World Cup.

#2 Virat Kohli needs to adapt to ODI captaincy

Virat Kohli is India’s captain-in-waiting for the limited-overs formats

Dhoni’s captaincy effectiveness seems to be on a decline in the last two years, and his win percentage since 2014 in the ODIs is 43; that's very less compared to his overall win percentage of 54.

The majority of the wins have been against weak teams like the West Indies. In the recent past there have been tactical errors by him in the selection of the team, as well as in the on-field decisions.

The major concern is the overseas performance of the Indian team which has been poor under Dhoni.

Dhoni as a captain

	No. of Matches	W	L	Win %
Since 2014	37	16	19	43
Overall	191	104	72	54

Kohli seems to be an obvious option for the role of captaincy after Dhoni’s retirement. He has lead the team in the last few Test matches and has had very good results, including an away series win against Sri Lanka. He has been in a great form with the bat in limited overs cricket too, and he can lead by an example.

That said, there is a big difference of approach between ODIs and Tests. Kohli needs much more time to try out his strategies in the shorter formats which have a lot more pressure situations. Dhoni's retirement will ensure exactly that.

#3 Create a legacy of selfless pragmatism

Indian cricketers have often been accused of playing for personal milestones

Indian players have often been blamed for their desire to play for their own milestones. The retirement age has been the biggest factor contributing to such an opinion; many players have been forced to retire just because of the pressure from the media and public.

MS Dhoni chose to retire from the Test cricket in 2014 on his own terms, which has been one of the most respected retirement decisions in Indian cricket history. He has been one cricketer who sticks to his own principles, and he can create a legacy of taking selfless decisions for the betterment of Indian cricket.

Teams like Australia have been very professional about these terms and their players rarely seem to be playing in national colours after a particular age. Public opinion doesn’t affect the selection of their players and the same has to happen with the Indian team too.

MS Dhoni can take an initiative and set an example.

#4 Recent form, age factor & dimmed role of finisher

Dhoni’s hitting prowess have dwindled over time

The ability of MS Dhoni to dig out any ball for a six seems to have dimmed in the last few months. The finisher in him is trying to rest on others’ shoulders, which a natural effect of his growing age.

Here is how he has fared in the last 10 innings in limited-overs cricket.

ODIs: 34, 0, 23, 11, 18, 27, 15, 47, 92, 31

T20Is: 8, DNB, 9, 2, DNB, 14, 11, 5, 20, 27

These definitely are not the worst numbers, but they aren't great either. Though Dhoni’s batting average and ranking have been healthy, the impact factor of Dhoni as a batsman seems to be reducing, and that causes issues for the Indian team.

Most of the responsibility has been shared by the top order, and with the emergence of players like Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane and Hardik Pandya, the middle order has regained stability. The dependency on MS Dhoni has been reduced, which is a sign that it's perhaps time for him to go.

#5 World T20 2016 - Chance to retire on a high note

Dhoni has helped India win almost all the coveted trophies that were on offer during his tenure

MS Dhoni started his captaincy stint with a T20I World Cup win in 2007 and he has been on a great journey since then. India became the No. 1 ranked side in Tests and have won almost all the ICC trophies under his captaincy.

Dhoni has a perfect chance to make the best out of the upcoming T20 World Cup and to retire on a high. The Indian team has been performing brilliantly in the T20Is in the last few matches, which makes them one of the top contenders for the upcoming World Cup.

In addition, home advantage will prove vital for India as was seen during the ODI World Cup of 2011.

A championship victory in the upcoming World T20 would be the perfect icing on the cake for MS Dhoni’s career.