Fans Are Bracing For The Retirement Of Indian Cricket Legend MS Dhoni

One thing that stood out in The Last Dance – which was released almost exactly three years ago but feels like an eternity – was the absolute pandemonium surrounding NBA legend Michael Jordan’s every move in the 1997-98 season.

As per the documentary’s title, phrased by then Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, it was widely believed to be Jordan’s final NBA season – spoiler alert, he came back to play two somewhat forgotten seasons with the Washington Wizards – so the hype was in overdrive.

As seen in the footage of The Last Dance – or just YouTube games of that season – almost every Jordan shot is accompanied by bright flashes in the backdrop. It’s well before smartphones dominated daily lives, so eager fans back then were lugging around cameras in a bid to get a memento of Jordan in what turned out to be his last season with the Bulls.

Evoking that hysteria, bedlam is following Indian cricket legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni in what might be his final Indian Premier League season. When he went out to bat at the the iconic Eden Gardens against home team Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday night, giddy fans – many of whom were garbed in the opposition yellow kit of Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings – flashed their mobile phone cameras in remarkable scenes.

Dhoni has not confirmed his retirement, but there have been breadcrumbs with the 41-year-old saying just days ago that he was in the “last phase” of his legendary career.

Of course that’s stating the obvious and expected from the unflappable Dhoni, a calm character who never gave much away publicly during pressure cookers when he once led mighty India across formats.

Nonetheless this does feel like the end point for Dhoni, who has been noticeably touched by the endless affection emanating from the terraces. “I will just say thanks for the support, they came in big numbers. Most of these guys will come in a KKR jersey next time. They are trying to give me a farewell, so thanks a lot to the crowd,” said an appreciative Dhoni.

It was quite fitting that Dhoni received such an ovation at Eden Gardens having grown up not too far away in Ranchi and it was his home ground as a teenager when he played for Bihar in India’s domestic competition.

Dhoni’s popularity is such that he is the only legitimate rival to superstar Virat Kohli in the adulation stakes of current cricketers. His rise up the ranks in the 2000s mirrored a new generation of fearless Indian cricketers weened on 50-over cricket.

Subsequently he became something of a pioneer of T20 cricket when he captained India to a triumph at the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 to catapult the three-hour format and upend the sport forever.

While Dhoni burst onto international cricket through his big-hitting pyrotechnics, his personality juxtaposed with his batting. He was understated and pragmatic, but had innate fighting qualities.

Dhoni leaned on that resiliency during his long international career, where he was heavily scrutinized in the hottest of seats. There were periods where his batting – which could look rather shabby and was exposed at times in Test cricket – was under the microscope while his captaincy often spiralled into conservatism.

But Dhoni weathered the barbs to produce an indefatigable career marked by the greatest moment in modern Indian cricket when he smashed a six to win India the World Cup in 2011 on home soil.

His ability to outlast his critics not only showcased his incredibly thick skin, but ensured he had a band of loyalists. These devoted fans – even those who don’t support Chennai – have stuck with him well past his international career which ended when Dhoni announced his retirement in typically innocuous style via Instagram.

Who knows if this is the last we’ll see of Dhoni, who might just be eying a fairy-tale finish with Chennai serious contenders for this season’s IPL title.

Much like 25 years ago when fans were glued to Jordan, MS Dhoni’s most ardent supporters just want one more glimpse of their hero before he retires from the sport for good.

Having done so, almost surely, quietly on social media.