After Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from international on Saturday evening via an Instagram post, tributes have been pouring in for India’s Captain Cool from all parts of the cricketing world.
The common theme was: There will never be anyone like him.
“To have a player like him, Mission Impossible. Na Koi Hai, Na Koi Tha, Na Koi Hoga MS ke jaisa. Players will come & go but there won’t be a calmer man like him. Dhoni with his connect with people having aspirations was like a family member to many cricket lovers. Om Finishaya Namah,” said Dhoni’s former teammate Virender Sehwag in typical Viru style.
Sachin Tendulkar, who won a much-cherished World Cup under Dhoni’s leadership in 2011, tweeted: “Your contribution to Indian cricket has been immense, @msdhoni. Winning the 2011 World Cup together has been the best moment of my life. Wishing you and your family all the very best for your 2nd innings.”
Anil Kumble, who also played for a few years with Dhoni, tweeted: “Congratulations @msdhoni on a great International career. It was an honour to play alongside. Your calm demeanour and the laurels you brought as skipper will forever be remembered and cherished. Wishing you the very best.”
Former England captains Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton heaped praises on Dhoni while commentating during the ongoing England versus Pakistan second Test at Southampton.
“To pick up on a point Shane Warne made in our chat yesterday, it’s not the average of 38.09 (Dhoni’s Test average) you remember,” said Atherton. “When a player ends his career what do people remember, not the average or the numbers but how they played and the iconic moment that the player was involved in. So I would remember that six at the Wankhede Stadium to win that World Cup in 2011. What a fabulous cricketer he was,” he added.
Hussain said that Dhoni, the only captain to have won all three ICC Trophies (50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy), was “probably the best white-ball captain” ever in international cricket and undoubtedly the best finisher the game has ever seen.
“Great captain, probably the best white-ball captain there has ever been and also just a cool, calm customer under pressure… A great finisher. The game wasn’t won until you got Dhoni out. Until very recently, he paced the innings absolutely perfectly.”
Michael Vaughan, another former England captain, tweeted: “What an incredible international career… You could argue the greatest ever white ball captain & finisher… Cheers for all the memories MS.”
ICC tweeted: “MS Dhoni: One name, a million memories!”
Also Read: 2-Time World Cup-Winning Captain Dhoni Retires From International Cricket
Also Read: Goodbye Captain Cool: MS Dhoni Redefined Aggression
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