"Raina Started Crying": Axar Patel Recalls Indian Cricket Team's Reaction To MS Dhoni's Retirement Announcement

Cricket fans were taken aback on December 30, 2014, when MS Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket. The development occurred after the third Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ended in a draw. Axar Patel, who was on his debut tour with the Indian team, revealed how the announcement was made to the team on Day 2 of the third Test match and that it was Ravi Shastri who informed everyone.

Speaking on Breakfast With Champions, he said, "He announced it the next day itself, on the evening of the second day of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The atmosphere had changed. Everyone was quiet and Ravi bhai called for a meeting. 'Everybody... we have to make an announcement. Mahi is retiring'."

"(Suresh) Raina started crying. I was like 'What just happened? Everyone around me was tearing up. I was in another world, 'What just happened? What is going on?"

The all-rounder also revealed that Dhoni pulled his leg during the incident, joking that Axar's arrival made him retire.

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"I didn't even know what to say. It was the first time I was meeting Mahi bhai. But before I said anything, he only said: 'Bapu (Axar's nickname)... you arrived and made me leave? I was like 'what did I do?'. Then I teared up... I just arrived and he is leaving. He said that he's just joking and then hugged me", he said.

Dhoni is currently with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. The former India skipper also stepped down from CSK's captaincy ahead of the campaign and handed the baton over to Ravindra Jadeja.