When MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket last year, his fans across the world were left disappointed, to put it mildly. Despite being aware of the fact that the announcement was long overdue, it still came as quite a shock, especially since viewers had expected the former skipper to be part of the T20 World Cup squad, which was scheduled to happen last year and was later cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Former India selector Sarandeep Singh has now revealed that the selection committee was of the opinion that Dhoni would have definitely been part of the team had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic. The cricketer last represented India during their semi-final exit from the 2019 World Cup after facing New Zealand. Sarandeep Singh was reportedly quoted as saying, "Definitely, he would have played (had COVID-19 not interrupted). We were also thinking that he should have definitely played the World T20. He was fit. There was no reason for him to not play. We always see the fitness of the players first to see how long they can play. And Mahi was the fittest. He never took a break from practice. Even in optional practice, Mahi was there. And you see it never happened that he missed a game because of injury. That's why he got so much respect from everyone."

"We always felt that a player who played so much for India and won so many trophies – there's not a single trophy he hasn't won – deserved that chance. It was my personal opinion and opinion of everyone in the selection committee that MS Dhoni should have played the World T20," the former selector added. Dhoni will be seen in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK).