While the topic of India’s former skipper MS Dhoni’s retirement has been the subject of debate for months now, retired Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has stated that Dhoni’s time is up and that India needs to start looking beyond the batsman.

“Dhoni’s time is up. With due respect, the time has come. India should look beyond. With the greatest of respect to Dhoni, I think he should be going without being pushed out,” Sunil Gavaskar said in an interview to a news agency. Dhoni has maintained silence on the matter until now, but has not played for the team since the ICC World Cup 2019. He made himself unavailable for selection for India’s recent tour of West Indies in August to join the para regiment of Indian Army in Kashmir.

Sunil Gavaskar further added, “Nobody knows what’s in MSD’s mind. Only he can clarify what he thinks his future with Indian cricket is. But he’s now 38, by the time the next T20 World Cup comes he will be over 39 years old. I think India should be looking ahead.”

Appreciating Dhoni for being one of the greatest assets to the team during his prime, he added, “His value to the side is always going to be fantastic. It’s not just the runs he will score or the catches and the stumpings he will effect. His overall presence is so calming on the field, it’s fantastic for the captain because the captain gets the benefit of his views. So that’s a huge plus. But I think the time has come. Everybody has a shelf life. He should be going without being pushed out. He should be going on his own terms.”

A couple of days ago, it was speculated that Dhoni would be announcing his retirement in an upcoming press meet after Virat Kohli posted a picture of himself with Dhoni in a moment of nostalgia. Virat, however, clarified the same later and stated that the decision was up to Dhoni and that the picture did not indicate what the media and people speculated.