WATCH: MS Dhoni shares insights about closing chapter of his iconic international cricketing career

Former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni is a legend of the game. Born in 1981, he is renowned for his calm demeanour and remarkable leadership as captain of the Indian cricket team. Dhoni is considered one of the greatest finishers in limited-overs cricket and led India to numerous victories, including the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. 

His impact on Indian cricket is immeasurable, and he remains an icon in the sport. He chose August 15, 2020, India’s Independence Day, to make his retirement announcement, a date with immense significance for the nation. Meanwhile, during a promotional event, the legend recently reflected on his retirement from international cricket in 2020, revealing that he had decided to retire a year before officially announcing it. 

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“It is difficult to control the emotions when you lose a close game. To me that was the last day I played for India. That day I retired (in my head) although I announced it a year later,” Dhoni was quoted as saying by Zee News.

I did not want to announce it at that point in time: MS Dhoni

According to Dhoni’s statement, he kept his decision to retire from international cricket after the ODI World Cup 2019 to himself, and it seems that he had already made up his mind to retire when India lost the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final to New Zealand. 

“We are given some machines which we wear. Every time I went to the trainer to return it, they kept saying ‘No you continue to keep it’. I used to think how do I tell this person I don’t need it anymore? I did not want to announce it at that point in time,” he said.

“You are high on emotions (on retirement day). The only thing you have done in the last 15 years is to represent your country. Then comes a day when there is no chance of representing your country. Once I quit cricket there was no way I would be representing my country. So, all of those things made me high on emotions,” he added.