Ravi Shastri not surprised with MS Dhoni's decision to step down from limited overs captaincy

Ever since former Indian captain MS Dhoni announced that he would be stepping down from the captaincy post with immediate effect, former cricketers and the whole cricket fraternity has heaped praises on the man who has taken Indian cricket to an all new level and the most recent to do so was former Team India director Ravi Shastri. “My salaam to a dada captain.” That was the tribute for Dhoni from Shastri a day after Mahi decided to step down from India’s limited overs captaincy.

Ravi Shastri was one among the many who went into silence at the MCG on December 30, 2014, when Dhoni apparently walked into the dressing room during the 3rd Test between India and Australia and revealed that he was retiring from Test cricket with immediate effect. The then director who has resumed his commentary duties now still remembers the fateful day with utmost clarity.

“There was absolutely no chance of negotiation, not a chance,” Shastri was quoted as saying Widen India on Thursday (January 5). “He didn’t come to discuss the matter, he just came out and told us of his decision. That came as a huge surprise, of course. But this decision to quit from the captaincy of the one-day and Twenty20 sides, this doesn’t surprise me one bit.”

Shastri has always been an admirer of Dhoni, be it as a cricketer, as a captain or as a human-being.  “The reason I say I am not surprised at this decision is that he is not someone who will chase the seat,” said Shastri. “Kursi ke peeche bhaagega nahi. He is the kind of guy who will play on his own terms, and this is what his terms are.

Also read: An open letter to MS Dhoni on his decision to step down as skipper

“He has obviously given it a lot of thought, though I must admit it must have been a tough decision to make. He has been the captain for so long, it wouldn’t have been easy to make the call that enough was enough. But then again, MS knows that the man in waiting is ready like he must have felt in Australia when he not just quit the Test captaincy but Test cricket itself. This is a very sensible and wise decision.”

Shastri backed Dhoni’s decision as he felt it would give Kohli the ideal time till the Champions Trophy to defend their title. “Just in terms of the timing, this has given Virat (Kohli) time till the Champions Trophy to prepare for the title defence. MS has won everything there is to win, he really has nothing to prove. Again, the reason I say he has nothing to prove is that he is easily India’s most successful captain, by a distance. There is no one even close to him in that regard. The names that follow in that list a fair distance behind are Kapil Dev, who led India to the World Cup title in 1983 and because of whom we won the Test series in England in 1986. And Ajit (Wadekar) in an era before there was one-day cricket when we won successive Test series in the West Indies and then England in 1971. And of course, Tiger (Pataudi) for flamboyance. Baaki koi nahi [there is no one else].”

Shastri also welcomed Dhoni’s move to continue solely as a keeper batsman in the limited overs format. Dhoni had made himself available for the limited overs leg and he was duly selected in the squad.

The way I look at it is that the best thing to have come out of yesterday is that he is still available to play for the country in ODI and T20 cricket,” he said. “For starters, there is no wicketkeeping alternative to him. No one is anywhere near him, forget about someone competing for his slot. And giving up the captaincy will allow him to express himself in a bigger way and enjoy his cricket and his batting even more.

Also read: O Captain! My Captain – MS Dhoni

“And, given all that he has done for all these years, he deserves to enjoy himself. The responsibility of finishing or whatever can be given to someone else. Virat can use him anywhere in the order, which is brilliant. He can even use him at the top of the order, and when I say top of the order, he could even use him as an opener in 20-over cricket. I think that will be brilliant,” Shastri said.

Shastri also felt that despite leading India for 10 years it won’t be difficult for someone like Dhoni to slip back to a normal player in the team. Dhoni has been the only captain in the World to lead his nation to victories in all 3 major ICC tournaments. The ICC World Cup, The ICC World Twenty20 and the ICC Champions Trophy.

“He would have already made that shift,” said Shastri who knows Dhoni from the very close quarters. “He must have thought about it long and hard. In any case, there is not too much international limited-overs cricket lined up for India. These six games against England (three ODIs and three T20Is in January-February), then a break and then the Champions Trophy in England in June. And then God alone knows when next after that. Given all that, I just think he has made the absolutely right decision. Nailed it.”

Shastri said there was no doubt that Virat Kohli was the man ready to take the additional responsibilities of captaining the national side in all three formats. “Absolutely.” “Though the one-day and T20 games will be a learning curve because you need much quicker decision-making skills than in Tests. But he is ready, of course, ”Shastri concluded.

Also read: Dhoni saved me from getting dropped from the team many a times: Virat Kohli