Months before the T20 World Cup 2026, a report has claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has approached MS Dhoni with a mentor role for Team India. The former Indian captain had served at at position for a limited period of time during Ravi Shastri’s tenure as head coach during the T20 World Cup 2021. Reports claim that while the offer has been made, Dhoni is unlikely to accept the offer, especially with Gautam Gambhir at the helm of affairs of the Indian team.
MS Dhoni to be Team India mentor again?
As per CricBlogger, a BCCI source claimed that Dhoni has been offered to mentor Team India once again. The report states that the board believes that the former captain’s guidance could play a key role in shaping the next generation of Indian cricketers. It is no secret that Dhoni and head coach Gautam Gambhir share a bittersweet relationship. The report claims that Dhoni is unlikely to take the offer because of his former teammate.
“Dhoni is again offered to mentor Indian cricket,” a BCCI source said.
In the 2021 T20 World Cup, where Dhoni was named mentor, Team India failed to make it to the semi-finals. The 2024 champions finished with just three wins from five games. Australia emerged as winners of the T20 World Cup in that year.
Meanwhile, reports have claimed that Dhoni could hang up his boots after IPL 2026, which is scheduled to begin just a month after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup. While it would come as an additional boost for Team India to have him as an mentor before the World Cup, it is highly unlikely that his thought process aligns with that of head coach Gambhir’s. Regardless, there is more than 4 months to go for the tourney and it remains to be seen if Dhoni has indeed been made the offer from BCCI.
