Ravi Shastri discusses MS Dhoni's future; hints he might walk away after the IPL

Indian national team head coach Ravi Shastri dropped a huge hint on MS Dhoni’s international cricket future, stating that the former skipper might hang up his boots after the IPL if he ‘doesn’t feel good.’

Dhoni’s last appearance for the Men in Blue came in India’s crushing semi-final defeat against New Zealand in the 2019 ICC World Cup. Ever since there’s been tons of speculation about the 38-year-old’s future with the Indian team, and these doubts were further exacerbated when the BCCI decided against handing him an Annual Players Contract.

The wicket-keeper himself has maintained a perplexing silence on his immediate future and as such, piqued the curiosity of his fans. Shastri recently opened up about Dhoni’s future, stating that we’ll have a much clearer idea on his form and fitness and what his endeavours are, post the completion of the upcoming IPL campaign.

Shastri believes that everyone from the fans to the selectors will have a fair grasp of the situation very soon, and maintained that Dhoni might hang up his boots if he doesn’t feel up to scratch after participating in the annual extravaganza.

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Alluding to Dhoni’s Test retirement wherein he decided to hang up his boots in the longest format of the game before reaching the fabled 100 Tests mark, Shastri went on to say that the veteran wicket-keeper is the last person who’ll impose anything on himself and that his self-awareness helps him in understanding when it’s time to walk away.

"Exactly what I wanted to ask you. There is IPL coming. Uske baad tum dekho. Everyone will know. (Then you'll see. Everyone will know) He will know, selectors will know, the captain will know seeing him, and more important than anything else he will know. What I'm trying to tell the people is he is the last person to impose himself on anything. You know him. I know him," said Shastri.

"For years, you know that he's been dead honest when it comes to things of that sort, like when he gave up Test cricket. There was no thing of 100 Tests because he is not the guy who will impose on himself. I don't know if he started practising as yet or not, but I'm sure if he's keen on the IPL, everything will come out now and he will be ready. For all you know, he may start the IPL, if he doesn’t feel good he’ll say ‘Thank you very much.”

After such a long sabbatical, the IPL will be the first time that fans will get to witness Dhoni in the flesh, as he’ll be leading the Chennai Super Kings and hoping to get his hands on a fourth IPL trophy.