Speculation is mounting that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has offered former India captain MS Dhoni the role of mentor ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. If Dhoni accepts, it would mark his second stint as India’s mentor, having previously held the position during the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE.
Former India batter Manoj Tiwary responded to these rumours with a playful dig at Dhoni, questioning whether the 2011 World Cup-winning captain “picked up the phone,” highlighting how hard it is to reach him. In 2021, under Dhoni’s mentorship, India lost its opening matches to Pakistan and New Zealand, exiting at the group stage
Notably, this marked India’s first-ever World Cup defeat to Pakistan. MS Dhoni remains the only Indian captain to have won all three ICC white-ball trophies—the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Although he retired from international cricket in August 2020, he continues to play for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“Only time will tell. He has been given the offer. Woh phone uthaye hain na?(Did he pick up the phone?) Because it is difficult to reach him on the phone. Replies to messages from him are also very rare; many players have said this. Will he read the message or not? We don’t know.” Tiwary told news agency ANI.
“Dhoni-Gambhir Pairing ‘Worth Watching’”- Tiwary
Tiwary added that if Dhoni takes up the role, it would be intriguing to see how he collaborates with the current head coach, Gautam Gambhir. The relationship between Dhoni and Gambhir has been a topic of discussion on social media for years. The duo had a memorable 2011 World Cup final partnership, with Gambhir scoring 97 and Dhoni unbeaten on 91.
Gambhir has often spoken about how the entire team did not receive due credit for the 2011 World Cup victory, with fans and media largely focusing on Dhoni’s iconic winning six. He has also critiqued certain decisions made during Dhoni’s tenure as captain.
“The first thing is whether he will accept the role or not. It’s very difficult for me to predict what impact he will have. His experience as a captain and as a player will be very useful, as the new players emerging today and upcoming stars of the Indian team give him a lot of respect,” said Tiwary.
“The pairing of MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir will also be worth watching,” he added.
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