Is Mr Cool Finally Feeling the Heat?

Calls for MS Dhoni to bow out gracefully, but does he need to?

Discount all doubts, speculation and rumours about MSD. His astonishing cricket career has defied the conventional till now. So will his future.

MSD is not the normal attention-hungry celebrity. He does his own number and breaks the mould. A speed enthusiast, Dhoni is the pro driver who chooses to race up the fame highway driving against the traffic.

Dhoni has also aced the art of creating a protective wall around himself to become an intensely private public figure. He won't invite fans into his personal space, won't share every detail of his life with fans, won't tell the world what he consumed for breakfast. While others are in your face at every opportunity, Dhoni prefers to shun the glare and looks the other way to avoid the spotlight.

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MSD is also not the normal, successful, brash cricketer who confuses a cricket game with something invested with higher purpose. He distinguishes passion from bad behaviour and does not believe sledging is necessary to play good cricket. Over the years he has built a reputation of being someone who, even if shaken, is not stirred. In modern cricket, with on-field temperatures rising to alarming levels forcing ICC to red card players under new rules, Dhoni is invariably calm, collected and composed.

Yet, perhaps for the first time in his spectacular career, the heat is getting to Mister Cool. As captain, MSD bossed different formats and won every trophy there were to be won. As player and finisher, he created a space for himself others could only dream of.

In the eyes of adoring fans, he is Baahubali, the slayer of bowlers, the brave conqueror who triumphed regardless of odds. Thirty from 2 overs? No problem for Dhoni. 6 to get from the last ball? Bet on Dhoni to send the attempted yorker soaring into the stands way behind mid-wicket.

But suddenly the magic has gone and while supporters wonder about what has gone wrong, the non-believers ask uncomfortable questions. For MSD, the last IPL was modest, his form inconsistent and the batting scratchy. This hiccup was dismissed as 'part of the game', the normal up-down cycle every cricketer goes through. Some thought he switched off because the Pune owners stripped him of the captaincy and made statements about him that were insensitive and disrespectful.

More doubts started to swirl when MSD had a quiet Champion's Trophy and a moderate tour to the West Indies, where he failed to assert himself in situations where he earlier excelled. His glove work was superb but batting lacked edge. In years past he was dominant and decisive; now suddenly, in the middle we saw a different, diffident Dhoni. With the famous helicopter refusing to take off and the glorious finishing skills absent, the King became a commoner.

No wonder, questions are asked. Some downright rude which suggest the finisher is finished. Others, more subtle and polite, wonder whether he will survive the journey till the 2019 World Cup .

Of course, there are no clear answers to these questions. Chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad, when confronted by this googly, presented a straight bat to say MSD is a legend, it would be a mistake to write him off. When pressed if Dhoni's place was on the line, MSK's response was measured.

We have a plan for him, he said, but if it comes to the crunch, the selectors would look at options. Which is only fair because MSD, though impressively fit, has to fight age and the claims of young Rishabh Pant to keep his place.

Read: We Will Look at Alternatives If Dhoni Doesn’t Deliver: MSK Prasad

Uncertainty about the future would rattle anyone and MSD too must feel the pressure. But in his trademark unruffled manner, he keeps a lid on the churn inside him. MSD might not be losing sleep, but is possibly having odd restless nights.

How things play out for him from here is difficult to tell. He could, the champion that he is, rediscover form to make runs and quell all talk of retirement. Or, going by his past actions, he could take the tough call himself, not allowing others to decide his destiny. MSD has always conducted himself with self respect, maturity and great dignity, and demonstrated decisively that he stays ahead of the game.

If and when that happens, Indian cricket will be poorer. MSD is a true champion, a popular hero in the league of Kapil Dev and Sehwag who overcame tremendous odds to climb the top. A legend who will be remembered for fearless batting and inspirational leadership.

When he gave up test captaincy in the middle of an overseas test series it was an act of abdication not resignation. When he made way for Virat to lead India across all formats it was a statesman like act of magnanimity, a gift from a senior to a junior colleague. Which is why MSD alone will control his future and decide what is best for him. If he thinks his time is up he is likely to just walk away, not allowing others to call time on his career.

Time is the greatest enemy of every sportsperson and every journey, however memorable, must end at some point. Serial winner Usain Bolt stumbled and fell in his farewell race and who knows when Federer decides to put his racket away. The finish line for Dhoni could be round the corner or somewhere in the distance.

Till he is around, let us celebrate MSD's splendid skills. And give him respect he richly deserves.