Press Trust of India
Mumbai, April 1: Peeved at the repeated queries on his retirement, MS Dhoni resorted to an unusual way of dealing with it, as he signalled his plans to continue playing, though the brunt of his sarcasm-laden jibe fell on an Australian journalist.
Dhoni was asked at the post-match press conference, “You’ve achieved almost everything in the game, are you keen to continue on playing,” by Cricket Australia (CA) reporter Sam Ferris. To the surprise of many present there and in a scene rarely seen in such post-match conferences, Dhoni invited the Australian scribe to sit on the chair next to him on the dais.
“Come here, let us have some fun. Please come…seriously,” Dhoni told the Australian journalist. The bemused reporter came up to the dais amidst a peel of laughter and Dhoni promptly put his hands on the shoulder of the scribe and asked him questions in a role reversal.
“You want me to retire, seriously?” Dhoni asked the Australian scribe. “I am asking that to you,” the reporter said. Pat came the reply: “I was hoping it was an Indian media guy asking me this, because I can’t really say if you have a brother or son who can play for India or one who can replace me as a wicket-keeper. “Do you think I am unfit, by seeing me running (in the field)?”
Even as the rattled reporter responded with a quick ‘no’ and added that Dhoni was in fact ‘very fast’, the Indian captain further asked, “Do you think I can survive playing until the 2019 World?” The hapless reporter said sheepishly, “Yes, sure.”
“Then you have answered the question,” said Dhoni laughing as he patted the journalist and sent him back to his seat.
