Throughout his career, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has not been one to talk about his regrets. Irrespective of the result on the field, the former India captain has gained admiration over the years for managing to be stoic through the most challenging times.
There is, however, one major regret that Dhoni has. In an interview with India Today, the 38-year-old said that he regrets not putting in a dive to avoid getting run-out during the 2019 ICC World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
India and New Zealand played out a memorable World Cup semi-final match at the Old Trafford in Manchester last year, with Dhoni playing a key role in the tie. In that game, India needed 31 to win off the final two overs and it was Dhoni’s dismissal thereafter that proved to be the defining moment.
While running back to complete a double, Dhoni chose not to put in a dive and ended up getting run-out by a couple of inches. India went on to lose the match and Dhoni has had to deal with the regret ever since.
“In my first game I was run-out and this game again I was run-out. I keep telling myself why didn’t I dive. Those two inches I still keep telling myself I should have dived,” said Dhoni. He had, of course, famously got run-out in his first One-Day International as well. And in that game, too, he had failed to put in the dive.
Dhoni has been away from competitive cricket ever since that World Cup semi-final defeat last July. Questions over his imminent retirement continue to remain unanswered.
