These days, reports of MS Dhoni’s retirement in the media are doing rounds ever since India’s defeat to New Zealand in World Cup semi-final by 18 runs. Meanwhile, Team India’s former opener Gautam Gambhir has made a big revelation about Dhoni. During a special conversation with INDIA TODAY, Gautam Gambhir said that in the year 2012, Dhoni had decided that he(Gambhir), Sehwag and Sachin would not play the World Cup in 2015. Apart from this, Dhoni had also announced on the tour of Australia in 2012 that he would not give Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag a chance to play together in the eleven.
Gautam Gambhir claimed that MS Dhoni had said in the year 2012 that Sachin, Sehwag and Gambhir would not be included in the playing XI because their fielding was not good. Gambhir said that this saying of Dhoni was a big setback for him. This would be a shock for any cricketer.
“In the 2012 Tri-series in Australia, Dhoni declared that he can’t play all three (Gambhir, Sachin and Sehwag) of us together as he was looking ahead at the 2015 World Cup. It was a massive shock, I think it would have been a massive shock for any cricketer. I have not heard anyone be told in 2012 that they would never be a part of the 2015 World Cup. I always had the impression that if you keep scoring runs, age is a just a number,” Gambhir told India Today.
Gambhir gives his stand on MS Dhoni’s retirement
The MP from East Delhi seat also said that it is time for the selectors to look forward to the future. Gambhir said that when Dhoni was captain, he too invested in the future.
The 37-year-old further said that it is time to focus on wicketkeepers like Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. They should get one to one and a half years of time and if they do not perform well then other players should get the chance.
“It’s important to look into the future. And when Dhoni was the captain, he invested in the future. I remember Dhoni saying in Australia that me, Sachin and Sehwag can’t play the CB series [in Australia] together as the grounds were big. He thought young players were needed for the next World Cup. It’s necessary to take practical decisions than being emotional,” Gautam Gambhir told TV9 Bharatvarsh.
