Mahendra Singh Dhoni was appointed as the Indian captain in 2007, leading the team to win the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa with a young team at hand. As the years progressed, MS Dhoni became an all-format captain in 2010. His stint was filled with trophies and glory, becoming the first-ever captain to win three ICC trophies - winning the 2011 World Cup and later the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.
However, to take the Indian team to glory, MS Dhoni had to make some hard calls, including dropping experienced players to include young talent as long-term prospects. He was under fire for dropping the likes of Virender Sehwag back in 2008.
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Dropped by Dhoni, Saved by Tendulkar – Sehwag Opens Up
The batter recently opened up about that moment, saying he considered retiring after getting dropped, and later shared how Sachin Tendulkar influenced him to make a comeback.
“In the 2007-08 series in Australia, I played the first three (of five) matches and then MS Dhoni dropped me from the side. I wasn’t picked for a while after that. Then I felt that if I can’t be a part of the playing XI, there was no point in playing ODI cricket," Sehwag said in an interview with Padamjeet.
The opening batter made his comeback in the ICC World Cup 2011 and played a top knock, opening the batting for India. Sehwag retired with 8,273 runs in 251 ODI matches.
“Then I went to Tendulkar and said, ‘I am thinking of retiring from ODIs.’ He said, ‘No, I went through a similar phase in 1999–2000, where I felt I should leave cricket. But that phase came and went. So, you are going through a trough, but it will pass. Don’t make any decision when you are emotional. Give yourself some time and 1–2 series, and then take a call.’ When that series ended, I played in the next series and made a lot of runs. I played the 2011 World Cup, and we won the World Cup as well.”
Irfan Pathan Reveals How Dhoni’s Call Ended His India Run
Following Virender Sehwag, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan also opened up about getting dropped by Dhoni. Speaking to Lallantop Media, Pathan revealed that he even asked former India head coach Gary Kirsten about it.
"Kirsten gave me two reasons. He said, ‘There are things that are not in my hand.’ Those were Gary’s exact words. I asked whose hands it was in, but he didn’t tell me. I already knew whose hands it was in. The playing XI is decided by the captain’s choice. The decision rests with the captain, coach, and management. Dhoni was the captain at that time. I won’t get into whether that decision was right or wrong, because every captain has the right to run the team in his way," Pathan said.
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Irfan Pathan’s India Journey Ended Quietly After T20 WC 2012
However, Irfan Pathan didn’t make a comeback like Sehwag did in the 2011 World Cup. He last played for India in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2012. Despite being part of the 2013 Champions Trophy squad, he didn’t feature in any of the matches. The T20 World Cup winner announced his retirement in 2020. Irfan played 29 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20Is from 2003 to 2012.
