MS Dhoni Ineligible for India’s Head Coach Role?

The race to become India’s new men’s cricket head coach is heating up, but MS Dhoni, a popular choice, is not eligible. Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in 2020, still plays in the IPL for the Chennai Super Kings. According to the rules, candidates must be retired from all forms of cricket to apply for the coaching job.

Although Dhoni cannot be the head coach, he could still be involved with the team. He mentored the Indian team during the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, although India was eliminated in the group stages. There is no indication that Dhoni will retire after the IPL 2024, mainly since he performed well this year, with a strike rate over 220 and being dismissed only three times in 11 innings.

The application period for India’s head coach position closed on Monday, with the BCCI receiving over 3,000 applications through a public Google form. As reported by the Indian Express, many of these were fake, including names like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Sachin Tendulkar.

Gautam Gambhir, who recently won the IPL as a mentor for the Kolkata Knight Riders, is a potential candidate. Other names rumored for the job include Stephen Fleming and Ricky Ponting. The BCCI has yet to announce the final list of candidates.