New Delhi: MS Dhoni has no immediate plans to retire despite the intense speculation surrounding his future, his longtime friend and business partner Arun Pandey said Friday.
Speculations over MS Dhoni’s future have intensified ever since India lost their big-ticket World Cup semifinal against New Zealand earlier this month.
“He (MS Dhoni) has no immediate plans to retire. The constant speculation over the future of a great player like him is unfortunate,” Pandey told this agency.
Arun Pandey’s comments came ahead of Sunday’s team selection for the West Indies tour. The picture on Dhoni’s plans will be clearer once the squad is picked for the tour beginning August 3. BCCI officials are expected to speak to the two-time World Cup winning captain either before or after the selection meeting.
Pandey has been associated with Dhoni for a long time and also handles his business interest besides heading ‘Rhiti Sports’, a sports management company.
With the selectors looking at the future following the World Cup, the 38-year-old Dhoni may not be an automatic pick in the team.
The speculation surrounding Dhoni’s retirement is only growing by the day with many of his countless fans wanting him to carry on while some questioning his waning abilities as a batsman.
It should be stated here that Dhoni has captained India to titles in all major ICC events – World Cup, World T20 and Champions Trophy.
The man from Ranchi has turned up for the country in 350 ODIs, 90 Tests and 98 T20 Internationals. He has amassed 10,773 ODI runs at an average of over 50 while in Test cricket Dhoni accumulated 4,876 runs at 38.09.
PTI
