Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has appealed to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to host a farewell match for former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni after he announced his retirement from international cricket.
Dhoni, who hails from Jharkhand capital Ranchi, ended all the rumours and speculations around his career and called it a day in international cricket on Saturday.
In two tweets that he posted on Saturday in Hindi, Soren said: “MS Dhoni, who has given the country and Jharkhand countless moments to be proud of, today retired from international cricket.
“We will never be able to see Mahi, our beloved son of Jharkhand, in the blue jersey of India again. But the people of this country have not yet had their heart’s fill.
“I would like to see a farewell match for our Mahi in Ranchi which will be seen by the entire world. I appeal to the BCCI to organise one farewell match for Mahi which will be hosted by Jharkhand.”
While the BCCI paid tribute to the 2011 World Cup winning former captain after he made his announcement on his Instagram handle, it did not speak of any plans for a farewell match.
“Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has announced his retirement from international cricket. The boy from Ranchi, who made his ODI debut in 2004, changed the face of Indian cricket with his calm demeanour, sharp understanding of the game and astute leadership qualities,” said BCCI in its statement.
Taking to his official Instagram handle, Dhoni posted a montage with several clips and moments from his international career. He captioned the post, “Thanks. Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. From 1929 hours consider me as Retired.”