Joginder Sharma feels that MS Dhoni could be preparing himself in a different way while staying away from the game

The former World Cup-winning captain and the only leader to win each of the three ICC events- T20 World Cup in 2007, 50-over WC in 2011 followed by the Champions Trophy in 2013- Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been on an extended sabbatical from International cricket.

The last image of MS Dhoni in Indian colours was a heart-wrenching one. It was of a broken, dejected man, walking off the field in possibly his last World Cup fixture, back in July in the semi-finals of the 2019 quadrennial event. 

Since then speculations have galore on Dhoni’s continued absence from the side and his cricketing future. Dhoni had himself asked the media to not ask about it in his famous ‘January tak mat poochna’ jibe. The sources close to Dhoni had revealed that the champion wicketkeeper-batsman is focussing on performing for CSK in the IPL, post which he’ll arrive at a possible decision.

But, according to Joginder Sharma- India’s T20 World Cup winner- feels that his former captain could be preparing himself in a different way. “Dhoni is very strong, both physically and mentally. There must be many reasons behind the decision he made (not to play after the 2019 World Cup). He has a family, a personal life, maybe he is preparing for a different way,” Joginder Sharma said on the sidelines of the Ekamra Sports Literature holiday to The Times of India.

Joginder Sharma relives the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup heist

The sight of Joginder Sharma running into bowl and Misbah Ul Haq botching the reverse-scoop to short fine-leg is one of the most played moments of Indian cricket. That wicket gave the Men in Blue a five-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan in the finals of the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, and Sharma instantly became a cult hero.

“We had even lost to Bangladesh. So all the senior players took rest (opted out of T20s). It was almost a new team led by MS Dhoni as captain for the first time. There were a few senior players, the rest were all youngsters. Nobody expected us to reach the knockouts of the T20 World Cup. But we were being guided by someone who became one of the best captains of the game … the result was that we won the trophy, “ Sharma, who now works as a DSP with the Haryana Police, recalled.

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