Cricket fans in India were excited to see MS Dhoni return to competitive cricket. The Indian wicket-keeper last played cricket during India’s semi-final loss to New Zealand in the World Cup 2019 in England. He was set to return in action with IPL 2020. Former India opener Gautam Gambhir comments on Dhoni’s chances of making a return to competitive cricket without having any platform like IPL to prove himself.

At 38-years-old, MS Dhoni is at the fag end of his career. His former teammate feels that the absence of IPL will make it very difficult for Dhoni to return as he has been away from competitive cricket for over nine months now. With India under lockdown, the 13th season of IPL is under threat and it’s unlikely to happen in the current window.  Dhoni will not have a  good platform to announce his comeback in the big leagues if IPL is called off.

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“If the IPL does not happen this year, then it will become very difficult for MS Dhoni to make a comeback. On what basis can he (Dhoni) be selected since he’s not been playing for the last one or one and a half year,” Gambhir said.

The cricketer turning politician has been instrumental in India’s major accolades in the past. He was the stand out performance for the Boys in Blue. He was India’s top-scorer in the finals 2007 ICC World T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup tournaments.

Gambhir feels KL Rahul an apt replacement for Dhoni. Rahul has proven himself in the past few months with match-winning performances. HE has also been keeping wickets and showed his flexibility by excelling at various batting positions.

“Obviously his (Rahul’s) keeping is not as good as Dhoni’s, but if you are looking at T20 cricket, Rahul’s a utility player, can keep and bat at No. 3 or 4. If the IPL does not happen, then Dhoni’s chances for a comeback look dim. Ultimately, you are representing India, so whoever dishes out the best performance and can win the match for India should play for the team,” Gambhir said.

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Gautam Gambhir ended by saying that retirement should be Dhoni’s personal decision. He said, “As far as his retirement plans go by, that’s his personal choice.”