Rumours are rife that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) offered former India captain MS Dhoni the mentorship role ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka. If the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) talisman accepts the offer, it will be his second time as the mentor, having previously been in this role for the T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021.
Former India batter Manoj Tiwary reacted to these speculations as he took a jibe at the 2011 World Cup-winning captain, asking whether Dhoni “picked up the phone” as it is difficult to reach him.
When Dhoni was the mentor of the Indian cricket team in the 2021 T20 World Cup, the then Virat Kohli-led side failed to reach the semi-finals after being knocked out in the group stage. In the competition, India lost its opening two matches against Pakistan and New Zealand. This was the first time that India lost a game against arch-rival Pakistan in a World Cup.
Dhoni is the only Indian captain to win all three ICC white-ball titles—the T20 World Cup 2007, the 2011 World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. He retired from international cricket in August 2020; however, he continues to represent CSK in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
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“Only time will tell. He has been given the offer. Woh phone uthaye hain na?(Did he pick up the phone?) Because it is difficult to reach him on the phone. Replies to messages from him are also very rare; many players have said this. Will he read the message or not? We don’t know.” Tiwary told news agency ANI.
‘Pairing of Dhoni and Gambhir worth watching’
Tiwary also stated that if Dhoni indeed accepts the role, then it would be interesting to see how he forms a pairing with current head coach Gautam Gambhir.
It must be stated that the relationship between Dhoni and Gambhir has been talked about on social media for years now. The duo were involved in a memorable fourth-wicket partnership in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium, where Gambhir scored 97 while Dhoni remained unbeaten on 91.
Gambhir has always been vocal about the entire team not getting the credit for the 2011 triumph, and the media and fans just remembering Dhoni’s iconic six that sealed India’s win. He has also criticised decision-making during the wicketkeeper-batter’s captaincy tenure.
“The first thing is whether he will accept the role or not. It’s very difficult for me to predict what impact he will have. His experience as a captain and as a player will be very useful, as the new players emerging today and upcoming stars of the Indian team give him a lot of respect,” said Tiwary.
“The pairing of MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir will also be worth watching,” he added.