Sunil Gavaskar fine with MS Dhoni taking India coaching role in future but only on one condition

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IPL 2023: Sunil Gavaskar has reckoned that MS Dhoni should go through a cooling off period in case he opts to become Team India head coach in the future. Dhoni, who is currently leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2023, retired from international cricket in 2019.

However, the 41-year-old cricketer continues to be the key figure for four-time champions CSK in the IPL. In the last two years, he has played more as mentor-cum-captain-cum-player. Reports are rife that the ongoing season can be Dhoni's last as an active player.

Gavaskar has opined that Dhoni should take a break of two-three years before taking up the high-profile role. Explaining his statement, he said that it will help Dhoni make better decisions about players he has played with.

"MS Dhoni could take over the coaching role (in the Indian team) a little bit later. I think that is how it should be. I do believe that you need a little bit of cooling off period before you take any assignment with the team (after retiring as a player).

“Be it the selection committee, the manager, or the coach, I think you need a 2 or 3-year cooling off period because you are making decisions about the player that you have been playing with.

"You can give anyone a three-year cooling-off period and then look at it,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.

Earlier, Dhoni was roped in as Team India's mentor for the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. However, India were knocked out from the first round of the tournament.

The talismanic leader has played the role of a finisher to perfection despite nursing a knee injury in the ongoing season. Under his leadership, CSK are placed second in the points table and are one of the favourites to qualify for the IPL 2023 play-offs.