IPL fiasco: Dhoni, what next?

New Delhi: Days after he slapped a whopping Rs. 100 crore notice on two private broadcasters for allegedly defaming him, Indian skiper Mahendra Singh Dhoni appeared disenchanted during India’s net sessions ahead of their Super 10 encounter against hosts Bangladesh, claimed news reports. While that bit of information doesn’t exactly ring a bell in isolation, the fact that Dhoni’s recluse finds its roots in protracted parleys in the country’s highest seat of justice does complete the jigsaw.

In an unprecedented and unsparing move, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justice AK Patnaik and Justie Fakkir Kalifulla took BCCI to cleaners, and to use a commentary cliche, took special liking to Board president N Srinivasan. While Sinivasan’s conflict of interest and the ensuing power pangs have cosumed enough mindspace, the imminent entry of Dhoni in the mix adds significant muck to the mayhem.

Dhoni has been accused by prosecution counsel Harish Salve of misinforming SC-constituted probe panel. The Indian skipper, much like his India Cements boss, was of the view that the latter’s son-in-law was no more than a cricket enthusiast; entusiastic enough to share space in dug-out, mark his presence at the auction table, and cast his shadow over team meetings. In the backdrop of Justice Mudgal Committee reportedly naming Dhoni and his trusted lieutenant Suresh Raina, Salve’s arguments against India’s most successful skipper ain't further traction.

A pertinant question thus arises: Should Dhoni continue to lead India? The quandary gains momemntum in the light of his recent unsavoury performanes abroad, and his perplexing proclivity to shun proactivity at the slightest instance of a potential challenge. He dispalyed it in West Indies, England, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and not surprisingly, India lost four of those five series. That he managed to save his job came as no surprise. However, cricketing issues aside, there’s a larger moral high ground that places individual integrity over institutional privileges. The point is, is MS Dhoni ready for proverbial moral martyrhood, or will he, as has been his wont, let his silence speak in thousand divergent utterings?

The Supreme Court on Thursday suggested all India Cements employees relinquish their positions in BCCI, which technically means that Dhoni’s continuation in Indian colours becomes rather doubtful. That, however, would be taking an excruciatingly cold look at logic and extending it too far. To start with, he must quit from India Cements to duck any further calls of conflict of interest. That may, to an extent, douse talks of favoritism towards his CSK colleagues in Team India. His ‘confidence’ in Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, and Board’s dithering in dropping them (generally speaking) despite their ordinary run is often discussed in hushed tones.

To his credit, the Indan captain is currently doing a good job in Bangladesh, and for him to sustain his fine run, it is imperative someone suggests him to make a choice between India Cements and Team India. Last summer, when spot-fixing scandal blew the lid off the murky IPL underbelly, a quiet MS Dhoni responded with a Champions Trophy win. India will be hoping he does an encore in Bangladesh.