'If he wants to still play, that's his call and we need to respect that.'
The never-ending chatter around Mahendra Singh Dhoni's future is "unfair" and the decision to retire rests solely with the World Cup-winning captain, his former India team-mate Yuvraj Singh said.
Dhoni's future in international cricket has been a subject of intense speculation since the conclusion of the ICC World Cup in July, and the 38-year-old himself has been on a sabbatical for more than two months.
"I think it's unfair to him. The guy (Dhoni) has done so much for Indian cricket. He has been the most successful Indian captain, so you got to give him time," Yuvraj said in New Delhi on Tuesday.
"He needs to decide when he wants to go out. He needs to take that call. If he wants to still play, that's his call and we need to respect that," he added.
Yuvraj, who retired from international cricket earlier this year at the age of 37, said it would be difficult to fill in Dhoni's gloves when he decides to call it a day.
He also said that it is not fair to compare young Rishabh Pant with a decorated cricketer like Dhoni.
"It is unfair to compare him (Rishabh) with MS (Dhoni). It took a lot of years to become M S Dhoni and it will take a lot of years for Rishabh Pant to go close to him," Yuvraj said.
"MS Dhoni's replacement is going to take a lot of time."
