Unka akhiri international match, 2019 World Cup ka semi-final, New Zealand ke khilaf, dil todne wala tha. Woh run-out, jab Dhoni crease se thodi si dur reh gaye, ek aisa pal tha jisme pura desh chup ho gaya. Ek bada khali pan chha gaya, jaise cricket ka ek hissa khatam ho gaya ho. Kayi logon ne kaha ki shayad Dhoni ka waqt khatam ho gaya, ki unki umar aur form ab unhe top-level cricket mein wapas nahi la sakta. IPL 2025 mein bhi, jab Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ne unhe captain banaya aur team struggle karti dikhi, toh critics ne unki performance par sawaal uthaye. Krishnamachari Srikkanth aur Joginder Sharma jaise purane saathiyon ne bhi kaha ki shayad ab Dhoni ko IPL se bhi alvida keh dena chahiye, kyunki unka batting strike rate 220.55 se girkar 138.18 tak aa gaya tha.
Lekin cricket ke is mahaan khiladi ka safar itni aasani se chhota nahi kiya ja sakta. 9 June 2025 ko, jab International Cricket Council (ICC) ne Dhoni ko apne Hall of Fame mein shamil kiya, toh yeh ek baar phir saabit hua ki unka yogdaan cricket ke itihas mein amar hai. Dhoni 11ve Indian cricketer bane jo is shandaar list mein shamil hue, jisme Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, aur Anil Kumble jaise naam shamil hain. Unhone 538 international matches mein 17,266 runs banaye aur 829 dismissals kiye, jo unki consistency aur fitness ka pramaan hai. Unki leadership ne India ko teen ICC titles dilaye: 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, aur 2013 Champions Trophy. Yeh woh pal the jab unhone na sirf apni team ko jita, balki pure desh ko ek nayi ummeed di. 2011 World Cup final mein, jab Dhoni ne Kulasekara ke ball par woh iconic six maara, toh Mumbai ka Wankhede Stadium goonj utha, aur desh bhar mein jashn ka mahaul ban gaya.
Dhoni ka asar sirf numbers ya trophies tak seemit nahi tha. Unki calmness under pressure, unka unorthodox wicketkeeping style, aur unki tactical brilliance ne cricket ko ek nayi pehchaan di. Jab 2007 T20 World Cup final mein Joginder Sharma ne akhiri over daala, toh yeh Dhoni ka faisla tha jisse Pakistan ko harakar India ne pehli baar T20 khitaab jeeta. Unki yeh kabiliyat, pressure mein bhi thande dimaag se faisle lene ki, unhe ‘Captain Cool’ banati hai. X par fans ne bhi unki tareef mein likha, “He didn’t just play cricket. He rewrote pressure. Led with silence. Finished with fire.” Yeh shabd unke asar ko bilkul sahi se bayan karte hain. IPL mein bhi, CSK ke liye unka yogdaan lajawaab raha. Unhone team ko paanch IPL titles aur do Champions League titles jeetaye, jo unki leadership ka pramaan hai. 2019 IPL mein, jab unhone Royal Challengers Bengaluru ke khilaf 84 not out banaye, toh yeh ek yaadgaar pal tha, jisme unhone dikhaya ki woh ab bhi match jeeta sakte hain.
Lekin, jaise har kahani ka ek dohra pehlu hota hai, Dhoni ke safar ka bhi ek alag rang hai. IPL 2025 mein CSK ka struggle aur unki khud ki batting form ne kayi sawaal khade kiye. Jab team table mein ninth position par thi, aur Dhoni teen match mein runs nahi bana paye, toh fans aur critics dono ke dil mein ek chhupa darr tha – kya yeh sach mein unka akhiri season hoga? Harbhajan Singh ne ek interview mein kaha ki Dhoni ab bhi cricket ke liye utne hi bhookhe hain, lekin unhone yeh bhi maana ki 43 ki umar mein pura saal bina khele IPL khelna asaan nahi. Dhoni ne khud kaha, “Agar performance ke basis par cricketers retire karne lagen, toh kuch toh 22 ki umar mein retire kar denge.” Yeh baat unki zidd aur passion ko dikhati hai, lekin saath hi saath yeh bhi yaad dilati hai ki waqt kisi ke liye nahi rukta. Kya Dhoni 2026 mein CSK ke liye wapas aayenge, ya yeh unka akhiri rang tha? Yeh sawaal ab bhi fans ke dilon mein hai, aur shayad waqt hi iska jawab dega.
