MS Dhoni retiring would be equivalent to Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Football, opines Monty Panesar

With over 15,000 international runs to his name, MS Dhoni, over the course of the last 15 years, has established himself not only as one of India’s greatest cricketers of all time but also as one of the most successful players in the world. However, there has been uncertainty over the national future of the former Indian skipper for the past 10 months or so, with the 38-year-old having not played a professional game of cricket since the heartbreaking loss in the semi-final of the World Cup against New Zealand.  

This has led to increasing rumors and speculation on social media that Dhoni announcing his retirement is imminent, but the wicket-keeper batsman has continued to remain silent over the issue.

While many believe that Dhoni’s retirement could create a void in the sport, former England spinner Monty Panesar took it up a notch with his statement. According to Panesar, the magnitude of Dhoni’s retirement would be so huge that it would be the equivalent of Cristiano Ronaldo hanging his boots from the beautiful sport.

“If tomorrow, Cristiano Ronaldo retires, football would lose a lot of fan following. Likewise, if Dhoni retires, it will be of the same magnitude, that’s the kind of following he has,” Panesar told Times Now.

Dhoni’s accolades as Indian captain include a T20 World Cup in 2007, a 50-over World Cup in 2011 and a Champions Trophy in 2013 amongst others and the 38-year-old, in terms of captaincy, has left a legacy worthy enough to be deemed ‘iconic’.  Panesar, who made his Test debut against India in 2006, labelled Dhoni as one of the top five captains of all time and also attested that the wicket-keeper batsman is one of the greatest cricketers to have ever graced the sport.

“MS Dhoni is the most successful captain Indian captain, unbelievable white-ball cricketer, an excellent wicketkeeper and among top 5 captains. One of the best cricketers we have had.”