Time For MS Dhoni To Take a Stand On The #IPLVerdict

Never one to feel accountable to the media, MS Dhoni needs to come out to his fans with the truth on CSK now.

File photo of Indian ODI and T20 skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. (Photo: Reuters)

For nearly a decade Mahendra Singh Dhoni has led an unchallenged life as the leader of Indian cricket. He has been feted, celebrated and was made a superstar because of the unflinching support of the Indian fan.

Today, ten years on, it is time for Dhoni to repay that love with a stand on a grave matter that has come to light following the Justice Lodha panel verdict. After careful deliberation, the Justice Lodha panel has suspended Dhoni’s beloved Chennai Super Kings team. It is also because of Gurunath Meiyappan, the cricket enthusiast’s action, that Dhoni may no longer be saying Whistle Podu.

MS Dhoni’s IPL team, the Chennai Super Kings, has been suspended from the IPL for two years by the Justice Lodha Committee. (Photo: PTI)

But Dhoni had an opportunity correct this wrong himself when he deposed before the Justice Mudgal panel last year. He reportedly feigned ignorance about Meiyappan’s role with the side and almost repeated the line adopted by the powers that be.

After two panels consisting of learned judges, along with the honourable Supreme Court itself admitting that Gurunath Meiyappan was the face of the owners, India Cements, and had indeed bet on IPL matches, Dhoni is left stranded.

He had after all staked his claim over Meiyappan when he could have very well sided with the panel wanting to help clean up the sport.

(Photo: AP)

Now with Meiyappan being banned and CSK being suspended, questions must be asked to Dhoni about his stance on the matter. After all, the facts in the case have now been examined, debated and adjudicated in the highest court in the country. Dhoni saw in the matter something that none of the learned judges saw.

For all his astute cricketing prowess, this time Dhoni has come a cropper. He failed to read the situation and instead went with being loyal. Questions must therefore be asked if the same man can get our unquestioned love any more. But sadly these questions will never get answered, because this veil of silence around the whole matter is the real problem.

With a new order taking over Indian cricket, most notably in the administration and team leadership, it is time to start afresh. Much like the new-found transparent policy of the new BCCI regime, Dhoni needs to step forward and make known his thoughts on the entire matter. Else we will be left to speculating and assuming on his views on the matter.

MS Dhoni holding the World Cup trophy. (Photo: Reuters)

He has for long been allowed to get away because he was the man who added much the needed star value to Indian cricket.

If Dhoni does not make his stand clear then this will get added to the long list of questions that everyone already has for him:

• Did you not want Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in the ODI team in 2007-08?
• Why did you pull the shutters down during the chase in the third Test in West Indies in 2011?
• Why did you opt for an unfit RP Singh on the 2011 England tour?
• Who were you trying to send a message by bowling yourself in the 2011 Lord’s Test?
• What did you make of the VVS Laxman retirement?
• Did you think you should have quit as Test captain when India lost 0-8 overseas?
• What did you make of the whole lot of seniors being moved out of all Indian sides?
• Why did you retire abruptly from Test cricket when you still had one more Test in the series against Australia?

This list of questions is not exhaustive but a sample of the queries that fans have for Dhoni. It is only fitting that Dhoni deals with these questions before his life story plays out on the 70mm screens.