Former India captain MS Dhoni has decided to step away from Cricket commentary after his retirement from professional cricket. The renowned wicketkeeper-batter, who led India to three ICC trophies, believes commentary is a challenging role that requires balance, skill, and a deep understanding of statistics—areas where he feels he does not excel.
Since retiring from International cricket in 2020, Dhoni has distanced himself from public commentary. He remains active in the IPL, playing for the Chennai Super Kings.
“Commentary Is Very Difficult,” Says Dhoni
Dhoni explained his reluctance to commentate during a YouTube session with sports broadcaster Jatin Sapru.
“Commentary is very difficult. I feel there is a very fine line between describing the game and getting into a zone where you start criticizing individuals who are playing the game. It’s a very thin line.”
He pointed out that commentators often do not realize when their critiques can come off as harsh.
“Often, you don’t even feel that what you are doing may be borderline wrong. You would always like to be on the other side where you are describing the game.”
According to Dhoni, conveying a team’s poor performance without hurting player morale is a unique skill.
“If the team is losing, there are reasons behind it, and you need to have the skill to describe those reasons without anybody feeling bad. That is the art of commentary.”
“I’m Not Good With Stats”
Dhoni prefers to avoid commentary because he feels uncomfortable with statistics.
“I’m not good with stats…but there are a lot of people who are very good with stats.”
He admitted that recalling his personal records is difficult, as most commentators are skilled at remembering statistical data from various times and teams.
A Good Listener but Awkward on the Phone
Dhoni discussed his personality traits outside of cricket. He mentioned that he is a good listener and prefers face-to-face conversations.
“I’m a very good listener… if I don’t know about the topic, I don’t speak much because I will be absorbing more if I’m listening.”
He humorously noted that he still needs to improve his skills in phone conversations.
“I’m a very awkward guy when it comes to speaking on the phone.”
He concluded by stating that he still aims to enhance his phone skills.
