Indian opener Murali Vijay, who has recently retired from cricket, criticized the media’s continuous speculation about MS Dhoni’s retirement. According to Vijay, players deserve to have some breathing room toward the end of their careers. The media has been focusing on two main themes leading up to the IPL 2023: player workload management and the possibility of Dhoni playing his last season. When questioned about these topics, Murali Vijay replied briefly, stating that the media inadvertently puts undue pressure on individuals by discussing them. Drawing from his own experiences, the 39-year-old made a jibe at fans-turned-detractors who provoke retirement talks by prematurely writing players off.
In an exclusive interview organized by Star Sports, Murali Vijay told Sportskeeda,
“It’s an individual choice. It’s high time people understand what a cricketer is going through. He’s served our country for about 15 years. So we should be giving him space to take that call, rather than putting pressure by asking when he’s going to retire. It’s very harsh for y’all to ask this question. Everybody is asking about MS’ retirement. It is so sad for me to sit and answer it. I have retired recently, so I know how it feels. We have given our heart and soul to this game and it’s a personal choice, and I want to tell people to maintain that little bit of privacy.”
Despite some critics expressing dissatisfaction with MS Dhoni’s fitness, his loyal fans are in a strange position where they want to prepare themselves for the worst while simultaneously hoping it never happens. Dhoni has been dealing with a knee injury that has hindered his ability to run effectively, resulting in him batting lower down in the order. However, his batting skills remain sharp, as evidenced by his impressive strike rate of 210.71, which ranks second among players who have faced at least 25 deliveries this season. Murali Vijay also pointed out that professionals like Dhoni always manage to find ways to work around their limitations, and said,
“I never thought about these things, I just wanted to go and play. Even now, in my heart, I want to play. The situation you guys have put me in, is making me take those decisions. It’s very hard to give an honest answer. It’s upto each individual; they are all professionals and I am pretty sure they’ll come up with their own plans.”
When it comes to identifying MS Dhoni’s eventual successor, the ex-CSK star did not want to delve too deeply into the matter. However, he did express confidence that the future of Indian cricket is in safe hands and said, “Anything with cricket is going to grow. Not just CSK, all the franchises have grown in leaps and bounds and I think the future is bright.”
Last season, the decision to promote star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as MS Dhoni’s successor did not work out as expected, with the four-time champions Chennai Super Kings finishing in the ninth position. Currently, Ben Stokes has emerged as a potential candidate, but the CSK management would have to take into consideration his fitness and the demanding international schedule of the England team.
Murali Vijay: “There should be communication between players and the selectors”
On January 30th of this year, cricket fans were reminiscing about Murali Vijay’s best performances in Indian cricket. The Tamil Nadu native, who had last represented the country in December 2018, had recently announced his retirement from the sport.
While the decision to retire did not come as a surprise, what shocked many was the fact that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did not even post a congratulatory message for one of its best openers.
When asked about this, Murali Vijay’s expression spoke volumes. He had previously expressed that playing cricket beyond the age of 30 is often seen as a taboo in India and suggested that he may have been on the receiving end of unfair treatment when it came to opportunities. He also emphasized the importance of clear communication between team management and selectors so players are not left in the dark. Murali Vijay concluded and said,
“There should be a fair deal for everybody. There is a lot of cricket left in us and, if you are left out, there should be communication and players should be spoken to. These things should happen and that’s why I am here. I didn’t play for that [BCCI acknowledgement], but my point is there should be communication between players and the selectors.”