'The real question is whether he would accept the role': Gautam Gambhir's former IPL teammate reacts to reports claiming MS Dhoni's inclusion in India's coaching staff

Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary reacted to reports claiming that the wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni is joining forces in the Indian cricket team’s coaching setup for the 2026 T20 World Cup as a mentor. Tiwary who featured for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) under Gautam Gambhir's captaincy, believes that if the duo indeed comes together, it will be fascinating to watch.

Reports are claiming that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering roping in former India captain MS Dhoni as a mentor for the national team for the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup 2026. The mega event will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. If this materialises, Dhoni will work alongside Gautam Gambhir who is currently serving as India's head coach. The duo played a crucial role in India's ODI World Cup 2011 triumph.

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Speaking to ANI, Tiwary quipped about Dhoni’s well-known reclusive nature before weighing in on the potential pairing.

“Did he even pick up the phone? It’s tough to get through to him because he rarely answers calls or even replies to messages,” Tiwary joked, before adding: “The real question is whether he would accept the role. But if he does, his experience as a captain and a player will be invaluable. The younger players coming into the team have huge respect for him. A Gambhir-Dhoni combination on the coaching bench will be worth watching.”

This will be Dhoni's second stint in India's coaching staff. He served as India’s mentor during the 2021 T20 World Cup when Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri formed the captain-coach duo. The wicketkeeper batter is arguably the best captain to lead India; the Men in Blue won three ICC titles under his captaincy. He is also one of the most successful IPL captains. He won five IPL trophies with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

MS Dhoni's last cricketing outing came in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 where he was picked by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as an uncapped player. He was also reappointed as the captain after the regular skipper ruled out of the tournament due to ankle injury.