NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly reached out to former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni with an offer to join the national team as a mentor ahead of next year’s ICC T20 World Cup. While the news has generated excitement among fans, former cricketer and West Bengal legislator Manoj Tiwary responded with a tongue-in-cheek remark about Dhoni’s well-known reclusive nature.Speaking to ANI, Tiwary joked about how difficult it can be to get in touch with the former India skipper.
“Woh phone uthaye hain na? Jahaan tak mujhe pataa hain phone pe milna bohot mushkil hai woh! Message ka reply bhi milta bohot kam hai. Bohot players apne samay main kahaa bhi hai. Pataa nahi woh reply kya karenge… woh message padhenge ki nahi padhenge (Did he pick up the phone? Because it is difficult to reach him on the phone. Replies to messages from him are also very rare, many players have said this. Will he read the message or not, we don’t know),” Tiwary remarked with a smile.The former Bengal captain further said that the key question is whether Dhoni will accept the role in the first place.“The first thing is whether he will accept the role or not. It’s very difficult for me to predict what impact he will have. His experience as a captain and as a player will be very useful, as the new players emerging today and becoming stars of the Indian team give him a lot of respect. The pairing of MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir will also be worth watching,” he added.Dhoni, 43, called time on his international career in 2020 but continues to be a mainstay in the Indian Premier League as captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Under his leadership, the franchise has lifted five IPL titles, the most recent coming in 2023, reaffirming his stature as one of the game’s most successful leaders.Across his international journey, Dhoni steered India to three major ICC trophies — the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011, and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.
