‘I was high on emotions’- MS Dhoni reminisces his last day in International Cricket against New Zealand in World Cup 2019

One of India’s greatest skippers and heartthrobs of millions of cricket fans around the world, MS Dhoni retired from International cricket on August 15, 2020. But he played his last game for India a year ago against New Zealand in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup, which eventually turned out to be his last match as India lost to New Zealand by 18 runs.

Dhoni played a crucial role in that match, as when he came into bat, India were already 5 down at 71 while chasing 240 runs. Dhoni scored a vital half-century and it seemed that the maestro finisher would again carry India home, but a direct throw from the deep square by Martin Guptill proved to be the end of Dhoni’s Innings, and with it ended India’s hopes to win the World Cup.

The former Indian skipper is known worldwide to keep his emotions in check under pressure situations, but reminiscing about that match at an event, he revealed that he was emotional when he got out. Whoever watched that match, could never forget the images of Dhoni when he got out. Dhoni further revealed that he had made up his mind to retire while coming back to the pavilion after getting out, although he revealed it to the public a year later.

MS Dhoni, at the event, said, “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,"

‘It’s not an easy decision to retire’- Dhoni

Dhoni expressed his feelings by saying that representing your country is a very big honour and only the chosen ones get the opportunity to represent their country on a World stage. He considers himself lucky to get this opportunity and it’s not an easy decision to retire as it means that you won’t be able to represent your country on a World stage further.

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,".

Although Dhoni, in his head, had decided to retire after the semi-final against New Zealand in 2019, he did not reveal it to anyone. Dhoni, in the event, even remembered an instance when the trainer provided him with a device to keep a check on his fitness during off days, but he kept returning it to the trainer as he knew in his mind that he wouldn’t need it as he was going to retire but could not tell it to the trainer.

Dhoni said, “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".