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MS Dhoni retiring? Rubbish, booms Ravi Shastri

Shastri added that Dhoni asked the umpires for the match ball because he wanted to show it to the bowling coach.

Ravi Shastri MS Dhoni India England 2018
Ravi Shastri (left) and MS Dhoni © Getty Images (file photo)

Ravi Shastri has dismissed rumours of MS Dhoni’s retirement following a social media-fuelled frenzy over the former India captain’s future as a limited-overs cricketer. Walking back with his teammates after England won the deciding ODI at Headingley on Tuesday to win the series 2-1, Dhoni turned towards the on-field umpires and requested them for the match ball. Picked up the cameras and subsequently watchers on TV, the fleeting moment created a storm on social media and got people speculating.

Speaking to The Times of India, Shastri said that Dhoni had asked for the ball from umpires Bruce Oxenford and Michael Gough to show to India’s bowling coach: “MS wanted to show the ball to Bharat Arun. He wanted to show him the wear and tear the ball had endured, to get a general idea of what the conditions were like.”

As for the buzz about Dhoni retiring after India’s series loss, in which he scored 37 off 59 balls and 42 off 66 in consecutive defeats, and was booed at Lord’s in the same match in which he crossed 10,000 runs, Shastri said: “That’s rubbish. MS is not going anywhere.”

 

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