Former Indian Captain MS Dhoni To Receive A Farewell Match? BCCI Source Opens About It

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has recently retired from international cricket at the age of 39, could receive a farewell match, a source from the Board of Council for Cricket in India (BCCI) claimed.

The game could be played post the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, which is due to begin next month in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to Indian news agency IANS, the source has revealed that the Indian cricket board will speak to MS Dhoni about it during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and then plan accordingly.

"There is no international series right now, maybe after IPL, we will see, what can be done because Dhoni has done a lot for the nation and he deserves all the respect. We always wanted to have a farewell match for him but Dhoni is a different player. He announced his retirement when nobody was thinking of it," the official said in the same interview.

When asked if the BCCI has spoken to Dhoni yet about the farewell match, the source added, "No, but surely we will speak to him during the IPL and that would be the right place to get his opinion about a match or series. Well, there will be a proper felicitation ceremony for him no matter if he agrees on it or not. That will be our honor to felicitate him."

Dhoni, who made his India debut in 2004, had a decorated international career, where he led the country to several laurels at the highest level. He is the only captain ever to win all the three ICC trophies: Cricket World Cup, Champions Trophy, and the T20 World Cup.

He broke the news of his retirement on Aug. 15 – India's 74th Independence Day – with a simple social media post leaving his fans heartbroken. India’s heartbreaking semi-final loss to New Zealand at the 2019 Cricket World Cup was his last appearance for the national side.

It was clearly not a fitting farewell for Dhoni, who served his country for 16 long years.

Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are yet to depart for the UAE, while franchises such as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) have already reached the UAE.