'Usne khel liya hain India ke liye' - Harbhajan Singh feels MS Dhoni will not play for Team India again

MS Dhoni’s future has been the talk of the town since his truancy from the sport. The former Indian skipper, following India’s World Cup 2019 defeat against New Zealand, hasn’t donned the national jersey once. Post the mega-event, Dhoni hasn’t braced the field and that has eventually sparked speculation over his international future.

Dhoni’s retirement speculations have hogged the headlines many a time as the veteran’s international future still is a matter of debate in cricket circles. Team India’s head coach Ravi Shastri had also said that the former captain would be considered for the upcoming T20 World Cup, depending on his IPL 2020 performance. However, the commencement of the league is currently in jeopardy and so is MS Dhoni’s future with the Indian side.

Dhoni’s India teammate and Chennai Super Kings colleague, Harbhajan Singh, has opined on the wicketkeeper-batsman’s international future. The off-spinner said that Dhoni’s will definitely play in the IPL. However, according to Harbhajan, Dhoni doesn’t want to wear the blue jersey again as he had already decided that which game for his last expedition for Team India.

‘MS Dhoni will 100 per cent play the IPL’: Harbhajan Singh

“I was at the Chennai (Super Kings) camp, and a lot of people asked me, “Is Dhoni going to play? Will he be selected at the [T20] World Cup?” I said, “I don’t know, it’s up to him”. Whether he wants to play or not, it’s his decision,” Harbhajan told Rohit Sharma in an Instagram chat.

“He will 100 per cent play the IPL, but does he want to play for India anymore, that’s the first thing we need to find out. Does he feel like it or not? As far as I know, he doesn’t want to. Usne khel liya hain India ke liye (he’s done playing for India), and as far as I know him, I don’t think he would want to wear the blue jersey again.

When it comes to playing for India, I think he had decided that whichever was India’s last World Cup match was – final, semi-final – would be his last match too. That’s what I feel. A couple of people had told me, too, that this is how it will be,” said the veteran off-spinner.

Responding to Harbhajan’s comments, Rohit Sharma revealed that even the Indian squad members haven’t received any news on Dhoni’s future since last July.

“We have not got any news. World Cup’s last match was in July, since then until now we have not heard any news. (We) have no idea (about Dhoni),” said Rohit.