Will Dhoni make a Comeback if IPL gets Cancelled?

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) awaits the government’s decision on the ongoing Lockdown in order to take a call on IPL 2020, there is a lot of speculation around Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s comeback into the Indian Cricket Team. While some are confident about his comeback, others think his chances are minimal if IPL does not take place. Dhoni last played competitive cricket in World Cup last July and hasn’t played any since then. His fans were eager to watch him on ground and expected him to gear up with a comeback in IPL 2020, which got postponed due to COVID- 19. 

Former Indian opener Gautham Gambhir put forth his opinion about the same while speaking on star sports’ Cricket Connected chat show. He opened up stating that the possibilities of the Jharkhand dasher making a comeback seems difficult if IPL does not take place. “If the IPL does not happen this year, then it will become very difficult for MS Dhoni to make a comeback. On what basis can he be selected since he’s not been playing for the last one or one and a half year," Gambhir said. He also propounded the name of a suitable replacement to MS Dhoni. “The apt replacement for Dhoni could be KL Rahul. Ever since he has donned the ’keeper’s gloves in white-ball cricket, I’ve seen his performance, both batting and ’keeping. Obviously, his keeping is not as good as Dhoni’s, but if you are looking at T20 cricket, Rahul’s a utility player, can keep and bat at No. 3 or 4,” he added.

Opinions about the maverick ex- India skipper’s retirement has been doing the rounds for a prolonged period now. The latest addition to these opinions came from former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar who felt that Dhoni has ‘dragged it for so long’ and should have called it quits after the World Cup. “He should have played a farewell series after the World Cup may be and then said goodbye in a manner befitting his great stature”, Akhtar told PTI from Islamabad on Sunday. 

However, test specialist VVS Lakshman’s comments stand in stark contrast to others’ statements. "Not only this IPL, he (Dhoni) will probably play in the next couple of IPLs, and then we will take a call about his future as a cricketer," he said on the same show.