Such was the surprise that arose from MS Dhoni's retirement, that even the BCCI were caught off guard. The Indian captain had not dropped any hints of calling it a day, which made many people ask questions about his reason for such a sudden decision.
But, the BCCI secretary, Sanjay Patel, has come out in the open and stated that the decision to retire was not a decision taken in haste, even if it caught everyone concerned by surprise. Dhoni personally called the BCCI secretary and informed about his decision to retire after the conclusion of the third Test match between Indian and Australia, which ended in a draw.
"MS is a very practical man," Patel told PTI. "Today, he called up just after the Test match in Melbourne and told me that he wanted to retire from Test cricket.
"I asked him, 'What happened are you injured or what?' He just calmly told me, 'No, I just want to quit Test cricket for good.''
But one should not be too surprised with Dhoni's call as well, for the person has always remained out of the spotlight. Had he wanted a grand farewell, he could have stated about his decision to retire prior to the third Test, or even played the final Test in Sydney. But this is MS Dhoni for you, a captain who always put the team ahead of himself.
He has always had that respect for his players, which could be understood from the fact that he asked Sanjay Patel to wait before making an official announcement, as he wanted to inform his players first.
It was a wonderful gesture. No wonder, he has gained respect from all the players in the dressing room.
Patel added, "I asked him, 'Is it your final decision,' and he told me, 'Please wait a bit as I want to inform the boys about my decision and then you can make an official announcement.'"
Patel, though, did concede that he was 'taken aback' by the announcement.
"I was a bit taken aback by the suddenness of his statement," added Patel. "But we had spoken about it before the Test also.
"Now what transpired between us is an internal matter but I can tell you that it wasn't a decision taken in haste. It was done after due deliberations.
Dhoni will still lead India in coloured clothing, where he has been a great captain.
By hanging his boots from the longer format of the game, he has probably lengthened his career in the shorter versions of the game. Irrespective of when the Jharkhand man calls it quits in all formats of the game, he will always be remembered as one of the best leaders of Indian cricket along with being a brilliant wicketkeeper/batsman.
