Manoj Tiwary reacts to reports of MS Dhoni being offered Team India’s mentorship role for T20 World Cup 2026.

MS Dhoni Offered India Mentor Role Again for T20 World Cup 2026

Rumours are rife that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has offered former India captain MS Dhoni the mentorship role ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka. If the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) talisman accepts, this would be his second stint as mentor, having previously taken up the role during the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE.

Former India batter Manoj Tiwary reacted to these speculations with a jibe at the 2011 World Cup-winning captain, asking whether Dhoni “picked up the phone,” hinting at the difficulty of contacting him.

When MS Dhoni served as mentor in 2021, India, under Virat Kohli’s leadership, endured a disappointing campaign, crashing out in the group stage after losing their opening two games to Pakistan and New Zealand. That loss to Pakistan marked India’s first-ever World Cup defeat against their arch-rivals.

A legend of Indian cricket, Dhoni remains the only captain to win all three ICC white-ball titles—the T20 World Cup 2007, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Since retiring from international cricket in August 2020, he has continued to play for CSK in the Indian Premier League.

“Only time will tell. He has been given the offer. Woh phone uthaye hain na? (Did he pick up the phone?) Because it is difficult to reach him on the phone. Replies to messages from him are also very rare; many players have said this. Will he read the message or not? We don’t know,” Tiwary told ANI.

‘Pairing of Dhoni and Gambhir worth watching’

Tiwary also stated that if MS Dhoni does accept the mentorship role for the T20 World Cup 2026, it will be fascinating to see how he pairs with current head coach Gautam Gambhir.

The relationship between Dhoni and Gambhir has often been discussed on social media. The two shared a famous fourth-wicket stand in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka, with Gambhir scoring 97 and Dhoni finishing unbeaten on 91. Yet, Gambhir has repeatedly voiced his concern that the entire team did not receive enough credit for the 2011 triumph, with fans and media largely recalling only Dhoni’s match-winning six. He has also been outspoken in his criticism of certain decisions during Dhoni’s captaincy tenure.

“The first thing is whether he will accept the role or not. It’s very difficult for me to predict what impact he will have. His experience as a captain and as a player will be very useful, as the new players emerging today and upcoming stars of the Indian team give him a lot of respect,” said Tiwary.

“The pairing of MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir will also be worth watching,” he added.