Reports suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has offered former captain MS Dhoni the role of mentor for Team India in the T20 World Cup 2026. It will be interesting to see when and how Dhoni responds to this offer.
When former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary was asked about the possibility of Dhoni becoming the team’s mentor, he had a little fun with his reply. He jokingly said that it depends on whether Dhoni even answers the phone, as talking to him over the phone is quite difficult. He also added that if Dhoni accepts the offer, his partnership with Gautam Gambhir would be remarkable.
Manoj Tiwary was asked about Dhoni potentially joining the team as a mentor and how it could impact Team India. He responded with a light-hearted remark, saying, “The real question is whether he will even read the message or not. Only time will tell.”
Speaking to ANI, Tiwary said, “Only time will reveal the answer. Yes, the offer has been made, but has he even picked up the phone? As far as I know, it’s very difficult to reach him on calls. Even replies to messages are rare. Many players have said this in the past too. Whether he reads the message or responds to it is something we’ll have to wait and watch. If he accepts the offer, his experience will definitely benefit the young players. A Dhoni-Gambhir partnership would be exciting to watch and could be a brilliant combination.”
It is worth noting that Dhoni previously served as Team India’s mentor during the 2021 T20 World Cup, when Virat Kohli was the captain and Ravi Shastri was the coach. However, India failed to progress beyond the group stage in that tournament.