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Opinion
On October 2, 1980, over 2 billion people tuned into watch the ‘Last Hurrah’ – a monumental boxing bout between The Great Muhammad Ali and rising star Larry Holmes.
Just minutes into the fight, most of them turned off their television sets – some in agony, and others in anger – after watching the ruthless prodigy beat the living daylights out of their beloved champion.
In fact, the assault was so bad that his coach had to intervene to stop the match to save Ali from being brutally injured.
Although nearly unbeatable at his prime, Ali was too proud to acknowledge his physical decline as his career progressed, and was hoping to beat a 31-year-old Holmes to cement his invincibility in the ring – forgetting how stiff and neurologically damaged he was, owing to the heavy blows he took on his head throughout an eventful career.
While the late Muhammad Ali still remains a larger-than-life figure across the globe for his unique verbal grace and unmatched dexterity, MS Dhoni – the former Indian skipper – is a man often valued for his composure, quick-wittedness and outlandish batting style, among cricketing circles.
Perhaps drawing a comparison between the two is unfair, but there is something that unites them both – neither of them liked retirement.
Sure, it is Dhoni’s captaincy and flamboyance that won us the World Cup, the T20 World Championship and the Champions Trophy, but nearly a decade has passed by and Dhoni is no more the intimidating figure he once was in international cricket.
You could almost tell how hard he is trying to leave an imprint of his old splendour on the cricket field, but the more you see him struggle, the less likely you are to endorse his skills as a player.
Dhoni’s scores in this IPL so far has been 0(2), 18(17), 17(8), and 2(3). And this isn’t a sudden shift in the state of affairs.
Even in IPL 2020, he could only score 200 runs in 14 matches at a meagre strike rate of 116, not clearing the half-century mark even once.
Meanwhile, 41-year-old Christopher Gayle amassed 288 runs from the seven games he played at an average of 41.14, a strike rate of 137 and a high score of 99, with three half-centuries and 23 sixes in his bag.
So, age may not be the only factor.
India’s MS Dhoni. (AP Photo/David Rowland)
Although his team has been able to make a turnaround this season, a large portion of this success can be credited to the consistent performance of the openers, the inclusion of explosive all-rounder Moeen Ali and the all-round exploits of Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja.
The skipper’s contribution was a mere 2.8 per cent of the total runs tally of 1285, making him one of the lowest contributors among regular batsmen of all the eight teams this season – second only to Nicolas Pooran of Punjab Kings.
Dhoni’s refusal to bat up the order has also come under the scanner, with many critics, including former opener Gautam Gambhir, calling him out on social media.
For someone who is blatant with his criticisms, Gambhir himself had scored nearly 500 runs in his penultimate IPL season at an average of 41.50 with four fifties, finishing right behind David Warner in the list of top run scorers.
But when he struggled to make progress in 2018, Gambhir wasn’t shy to come out and admit his inadequacies.
In fact, he surrendered the entire IPL salary of 2.8 crores, gave up his captaincy and his position in the team, and proudly announced retirement from all forms of cricket before scoring 112 in his final Ranji Trophy match to sign off in style.
There is no denying the fact that age is just a number, as long as you perform.
England’s James Anderson – who turns 39 this July – bowled 97 overs this Test season at a staggering economy rate of 1.79, an average of 12.36, and a career best strike rate of 41.50.
The 6-40 he picked up against Sri Lanka earlier this year happens to be his best bowling figures in Asia to date.
(AAP Image/David Moir)
Former Australian Opener Chris Rogers, who could only make it to the national team as a regular member in his mid-30s, retired as Player of the Series in the 2015 Ashes, scoring 480 runs in five matches at age 38.
Another Aussie legend, Adam Gilchrist – a man Dhoni is often compared to – managed to score 83 off 50 in his last ODI match at the MCG in front of a packed home crowd, a week before his retirement.
Even Rahul Dravid – famously known for his slow batting – scored 69 off 79 and 31 off 21 in his final ODI and T20 outings in international cricket.
The great Sachin Tendulkar scored 52 off 48 in his last ODI and 74 in his last Test innings.
Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath – the most successful left-arm spinner in cricket history – picked up 12 wickets in a two-match series against a strong South African side in 2018 with best figures of 6-98. He was 40 at the time.
The Chennai Super Kings skipper, however, hasn’t crossed the half-century mark for 27 games now, since his 84 against RCB in a losing cause in April 2019.
None of this is to say Dhoni is a wrong inclusion.
His presence is definitely uplifting for the team, but he would be more useful in an administrative position than as a full-time member in the side, especially when his contribution on the field is minimal.
CSK may also be missing out on an opportunity to groom another wicketkeeper-batsman by not employing an exchange policy – something Dhoni liked doing during his time as Indian captain.
Strangely, many in the cricketing fraternity seem to remain silent on the issue – perhaps fearing his fans on social media – making this another ‘untold’ story of the legendary captain.
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