Now as Dhoni is retired from International Cricket he will be spending a lot of time with the Territorial Army said his business partner & friend Arun Pandey on Sunday.
According to Arun Pandey, Dhoni’s decision of taking retirement came after the postponement of T20 World Cup as he was preparing for it. He further said that he was aware that Dhoni will make the announcement of his retirement very soon but he was not aware that the announcement of his retirement would come on Independence Day.
“I was aware that he would do it soon but did not know the exact timing. Anyway it was for him to decide. He had started IPL preparations but it was postponed and then the T20 World Cup was postponed, he thought to be mentally free,” Pandey told PTI day after Dhoni’s unexpected announcement on Saturday.
“And since August 15 is a special day for the Army, he must have thought on those lines. The T20 World Cup postponement was surely a factor as he planned for it,” he said.
MS Dhoni holds a prestigious rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. After India’s loss in the Semifinals of 2019 World Cup he trained with the Parachute Regiment for more than a month.
“One thing is for sure, he will be spending more time with the Army. He will also give time to his commercial ventures and other commitments. We will sit down soon and decide the way forward”, Arun Pandey said.
It is often said that the brand value of an athlete goes down initially after their retirement but Pandey feels that it will not be the case with Dhoni.
“Since the World Cup (in July 2019), we have signed up with 10 new brands and it is a long-term thing. It will keep on increasing as Dhoni is not just about cricket, he is a youth icon.
“In most cases retirement does have an impact but not when it comes to Dhoni. His achievements are not individual, his achievements are for the team and for the country,” said Pandey.
Arun Pandey also gave the good news that Dhoni will continue to play in the IPL for another two to three seasons. “He will play for at least couple of years, if not more. He will be more mentally free now that he is retired. The T20 World Cup postponement was definitely a factor in his retirement”, Arun said.
