Dhoni was appointed as the brand ambassador for the Jharkhand elections.

The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a case filed by his former partners Mihir Diwakar and Soumya Das.

MS Dhoni, the former India captain, was recently retained by the Chennai Super Kings as an uncapped player for a price of Rs 4 crore. The other retained players of CSK are Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Matheesha Pathirana.

MS Dhoni Enjoys A Vacation In Thailand: আইপিএল এখনও শুরু হতে দেরি আছে, ধোনি পরিবার নিয়ে চলে এসেছেন থাইল্যান্ডে...  

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, is currently enjoying a vacation with his family in Phuket, Thailand. Away from the cricketing world, Dhoni is taking some time off to relax. A picture shared on his daughter

Samson's journey has not been easy. New T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir gave him confidence after a disappointing tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year when he struggled with form

Dhoni is all set to play his 18th season of the marquee tournament after being retained by his franchise under the 'uncapped player category.'

Ayush has reportedly been called for CSK trials after the 5th round of the Ranji Trophy.

Dhoni filed a criminal complaint against his former partners on January 5 in Ranchi, alleging that they have cheated him.

Wicket-keeper batsman KL Rahul on Sunday made sure to answer as many questions from fans as he did an 'Ask Rahul' session on Twitter.

MS Dhoni and his love affair with motorcycles need no introduction. Here we shed some light on Mahi's Yamaha RX135 that was one of his first bikes!

Top sports news: A grey-bearded MS Dhoni enjoys playtime with Ziva, T2...

IPL: Former CSK opener Matthew Hayden reveals MS Dhoni's epic first re...

The incident took place back in 2014 during India's test match against New Zealand.

MS Dhoni, who has rarely been sighted in recent times, was seen sporting a bearded look that sent social media into a tizzy.

India tasted huge success under Dhoni, winning the 2007 World T20 and the 2011 World Cup at home. India also won the 2013 Champions Trophy under the Jharkhand dasher, who has not played any international cricket since India's semi final exit from the ODI World Cup last July.

The young spinner, who now has made a mark for himself in the international arena, said that he no longer remembers what Sivaramakrishnan had said to him as his mind was blank at that stage.

The ongoing Coronavirus crisis across the world and a prolonged lockdown in India has halted MS Dhoni’s planned comeback to competitive cricket. He had joined the training camp with his IPL franchise team Chennai Super Kings but the initial delays in the start of IPL until April 15 and then for an indefinite period stopped him to press on for a place in the Indian squad.

Anirudh Thapa revealed that MS Dhoni would often join the players at Chennaiyin FC for lunch and share different experiences.

Former India captain MS Dhoni's presence in the current India squad for the WT20 is the biggest topic of debate at the moment. Many cricketers, current and former have their own views.

Former Indian cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth shared his views on MS Dhoni’s chances of making it to the Indian team for the 2020 ICC T20 World Cup on Star Sports 1 show Cricket Connected and said “I am not going to be diplomatic. I am talking about if I was the chairman of the selection committee, what would I do. If the IPL does not happen then his chances are very, very bleak. Because straightaway, in my opinion, KL Rahul will be the wicketkeeper-batsman. Rishabh Pant, I still think he might be a bit of a doubt, but I believe that Rishabh Pant is highly talented. So, I wouldn’t mind taking him along with the squad, but definitely, if the IPL doesn’t happen, then Dhoni will have a difficult time getting back into the team for the T20 World Cup. Let’s be very honest about it. He is absolutely fit, he is a legend, he is brilliant. I am a great fan of Dhoni myself. But the question is for the World Cup team. So you’ll have to put the Indian team first and then the individuals.

Meanwhile, former opening batsman Gautam Gambhir also expressed his thoughts on Yuvraj Singh’s recent comments pertaining to role models in the current team and said, “I agree with Yuvraj that there is a dearth of role models in the Indian team currently, like in the 2000s, we had Dravid, Kumble, Laxman, Sourav and Sachin to guide the team. It is important to have senior players around you who can help you when you’re going through a rough patch. Right now, I don’t think there are enough seniors in the Indian camp, who will set aside their self-interest to help youngsters.

Who are the role models in #TeamIndia’s dressing room?

Watch @GautamGambhir, @VVSLaxman281 and other experts weigh in on the discussion and much more on #CricketConnected!

⏳: Saturday, 7 PM
📺: Star Sports Network & Disney+Hotstar pic.twitter.com/fwsyqil4Wp

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 15, 2020

Another ex-Test opener VVS Laxman also shared his views on Rohit Sharma not featuring in Wisden Cricketers of the Year list said on Star Sports 1 show Cricket Connected, “I think anyone who follows the game of cricket will be surprised and shocked not to see Rohit Sharma’s name in those five players list. Because yes, The Ashes is an important series, the World Cup is bigger than Ashes. And someone who has scored five hundreds; remember the first hundred was on a tough wicket in Southampton against South Africa and none of the other batsmen got runs. And he played another important knock against Pakistan. I am really shocked and surprised, and every cricketer will be shocked and surprised by this announcement from Wisden.”

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Former Team India batsman VVS Laxman shared his views on how playing for CSK will keep MS Dhoni going on Star Sports 1 show Cricket Connected: “I think, playing for CSK will keep him going because he’s supremely fit and age is just a number, and especially when someone like MS Dhoni is not only physically fit, but mentally very astute as a captain as a leader he enjoys leading the CSK franchise. He's been very successful doing that and as far as Dhoni’s cricket is concerned, I'm sure you're looking forward to watch him play in the IPL. Not only this IPL, he will probably play in the next couple of IPLs, and then we will take a call about his future as a cricketer. But I think MS Dhoni will be very clear, as far as his plans are concerned, I'm sure he must have communicated that with Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri immediately after the 2019 World Cup in England. The new selection committee will have to sit down with MS Dhoni and understand his future, as far as Indian cricket is concerned. But MS Dhoni will continue to play for CSK and do well for CSK.”

VVS Laxman also went on to share his views about Virat Kohli’s intensity while playing and said, “I really admire the intensity Virat Kohli brings to the game because when he started off in 2010-11 against the West Indies in which I played with him, you could see that he was taking his game to the next level, with every season he just kept on getting better. I was really worried about whether this intensity would fade out eventually because before each and every match, even in his warm- ups his high intensity was visible and I thought that will burn-out, but not even in a single over ever did we see him losing the intensity which is commendable.”

Former opening batsman Gautam Gambhir also spoke about the future of MS Dhoni: “If the IPL does not happen this year, then it will become very difficult for MS Dhoni to make a comeback. On what basis can he be selected since he’s not been playing for the last one or one and a half year. The apt replacement for Dhoni could be KL Rahul. Ever since he has donned the ’keeper’s gloves in white-ball cricket, I’ve seen his performance, both batting and ’keeping. Obviously his keeping is not as good as Dhoni’s, but if you are looking at T20 cricket, Rahul’s a utility player, can keep and bat at No. 3 or 4. If the IPL does not happen, then MS Dhoni’s chances for a comeback look dim. Ultimately, you are representing India, so whoever dishes out the best performance and can win the match for India should play for the team. As far as his retirement plans go by, that’s his personal choice.”

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In the latest episode of ESPNcricinfo's Videocast, host Sanjay Manjarekar chats up with Michael Hussey, former international Australian Cricketer and one of the finest finishers cricket has ever produced about his career, his art of finishing, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and more.

A reliable finisher, Hussey usually came to bat at a time when his team either needed to accelerate the run rate rapidly or manage an early crisis. Talking about his mantra on how he handled such enormous pressure, Hussey says, "You can either succumb to it, lose your focus, or narrow your focus. I saw pressure as an opportunity to do something special. To take the pressure off, I would think of how it will feel to win at the end of the game, celebrate and be able to get a goodnight's sleep. And that's what got me going."

Hussey played at a time when Australia boasted of one of the most robust middle order, and he gives credit to his teammates as well, "The guy at the other end needs to help too. I was lucky to have a middle-order that helped me with the chase. I loved batting with Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke and others. They're all fantastic players in their own right and did lend a helping hand in tricky situations". "I was lucky to have a set, rigid pre-ball routine for every single delivery that I faced, which helped me switch on and off in between deliveries," Hussey adds further.

To understand Hussey's approach better, Sanjay Manjarekar uses one of Javed Miandad's theory, "If Javed needed 11 or 12 runs an over, he would try to get at least 8 runs an over because there will invariably be wide or no-balls to compensate for the remaining runs", and asks Hussey if he followed the same mantra. "I tried not to let it reach 12 or 13 runs an over. And I learnt this from MS Dhoni. He is incredible. He believes that he who panics last wins the game. So Dhoni would keep his cool, and keep it longer because the pressure is on the bowler as well. So, Javed rightly says, chances of a wide or a no-ball are higher. And if you can keep your cool longer than the opposition, you can come out on top", responds Hussey.

Hussey believes that the greatest players of the game have a few common traits like, 'They don't hang on to a defeat for too long. If they lose, they move on quickly. They don't let a loss or a win hamper their thinking. They are always consistent, and level headed whether it's MS Dhoni or Ricky Ponting".

Talking about Dhoni’s finishing ability, Sanjay recalls one of India’s game against Sri Lanka in West Indies. Dhoni was on strike, India needed 17 runs in the last two overs and Sri Lanka put their best bowler to bowl the penultimate over. “Dhoni just got 3 runs in that over leaving 14 to get from the last over which was to be bowled by a weaker bowler. That’s seemingly impossible, but then how does Dhoni manage to do this”, asks Sanjay. Hussey, who is full of praises for former Indian captain, claims, "Dhoni is the greatest finisher of all time that the cricketing world has ever produced." He adds, "Dhoni can keep his cool and make the opposition captain blink first. Dhoni also has unbelievable power. He knows that when he needs to clear the ropes he can do it. He has that kind of self-belief. Honestly, I didn't have that kind of belief in myself."

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is Sanjay's favorite IPL team, and he wants to know what makes them so consistent. Hussey lets out the secret, "Supportive owners who let the Coach Flemming and Captain Dhoni decide how to run the team, excellent chemistry between the coach and the captain, Dhoni’s leadership and lastly the foresight of the owners, Flemming and Dhoni to pick the best players, particularly the good Indian players and then stick with them for as long as possible." This has built an excellent continuity in the team. And once you have continuity, you build relationships and trust that otherwise takes time to grow."

Responding to Sanjay's question on CSK's future after Dhoni moves on, Hussey says, "That's a 60 million dollar question, and I am equally intrigued. I believe the owners would like to keep Dhoni involved in some way or the other. However, whenever the change of guard happens, CSK might want to start all over again, build a brand new team, and use their existing philosophy as they enter the next decade of IPL. It is definitely going to be more challenging in current times."

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On #CricketConnected, Star Sports’ new show the Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T) – Captain was a tie between MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma based on the jury's votes, but then the selection panel on the show picked Dhoni ahead of Rohit by the slimmest of margins.

Justifying the pick Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen said, “His relationship with Fleming the consistency at the franchise and the wicket they play on so it would be hard to go against MS and he will probably get my vote, I like what Rohit Sharma does and I love the Mumbai Indians and their approach to the game. However, for consistency and weight of expectation down there in Chennai MS is my guy.”

Former New Zealand fast bowler Danny Morrison added, “Looking at the vibe and the inspiration of that fellow (MS Dhoni) in yellow and what he did for India in blue and variably that helicopter shot which changes the course of the game, yes he is a lot older and finishing up Rohit got more time. But for me, Dhoni takes the pressure like no one else.”

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With three VIVO IPL titles with Chennai Super Kings, one of India’s greatest cricketing leader, MS Dhoni is an enigma! On the 13th anniversary of the VIVO IPL, MSD was named the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) captain in the VIVO IPL by the Star Sports jury, on their flagship show Cricket Connected. Captain Cool, who has a staggering win percentage of 60.11, pipped Rohit Sharma, who led Mumbai Indians to a record four titles.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been one of the many players who has received a demi-God status in Indian cricket. From making his debut in a team comprising of legends, Dhoni only managed to successfully grab the spotlight after he led Team India to a World T20 title in 2007. From thereon, his stature kept growing! Chennai Super Kings picked him in the maiden VIVO IPL auction, where he became the most expensive player in 2008 and since then began MSD’s transformation from a player to an icon.

With over 4000 runs at an average of almost 42 in the VIVO IPL, Dhoni has time and again proved his importance as a vital cog in the CSK wheel. His ability to finish off games saw Captain Cool as the leading run scorer in the 2019 edition. He has led his team to 8 finals, the most by any captain in the tournament and has ensured his team reaches the top 4 on 11 out of 12 seasons in the VIVO IPL.

Besides his contribution to the game, Dhoni has also managed to win the hearts of his team. Lauding Dhoni’s captaincy, Star Sports expert and former World Cup-winning fast bowler Ashish Nehra said on Cricket Connected, “My pick for the greatest captain is MS Dhoni, under whose captaincy I have played the maximum, be it for the national team or in the IPL. I haven’t played under Rohit, so I choose MS Dhoni.”

Besides Rohit, Dhoni also faced stiff competition from Gautam Gambhir who took KKR to 2 IPL trophy victories. Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and David Warner were also a part of the elite nominee list.

Along with Ashish Nehra, Star Sports experts Sanjay Manjrekar, Darren Ganga, Scotty Styris, Mike Hesson, Dean Jones, Russell Arnold, Simon Doull and Graeme Smith chose Dhoni as their GOAT – captain.

About the Jury
The jury comprised of 50 members which included former cricketers (20), senior sports journalists (10), statisticians & analysts (10), broadcasters (7) and anchors (3) and analysts who chose the best among the list of top 10 players in each category and a list of 5 players each in categories of Greatest Captain and Coach. A shortlist of 3 names based on the 50-member jury’s votes were then deliberated upon by former KKR captain and two-time IPL champion Gautam Gambhir, former England captain and World T20-winning batsman Kevin Pietersen, ICC World Cup and IPL champion Ashish Nehra, 2007 ICC World T20-winning all-rounder Irfan Pathan and former New Zealand pacer and VIVO IPL commentator Danny Morrison, who picked the winners.

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Wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson recently said that one cannot copy MS Dhoni and that the former India skipper can only be appreciated for whatever he has achieved in international cricket.

The official Instagram handle of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings shared a video in which Samson can be seen talking about Dhoni.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

@imsanjusamson VC: @ruphas #WhistlePodu

A post shared by Chennai Super Kings (@chennaiipl) onMay 4, 2020 at 4:00am PDT

"MS Dhoni is a hero, he is a hero for everyone, he has spent so many years in international cricket, he has given us many memories, everyone will be inspired with what he has achieved in international cricket, a guy coming from Jharkhand and then going on to become the most successful Indian captain, he has achieved everything, I feel emotional and connected whenever I talk about MS Dhoni," Samson said in the video posted by Chennai Super Kings.

"You cannot copy MS Dhoni, you just have to look at him and clap your hands. I shared the dressing room with him when I was 19 years old, we were on a tour to England, after that I did not play for India for the next five years," he added.

In the video, the 25-year-old Samson also said that he once had a dream featuring MS Dhoni. The young wicket-keeper then revealed how that dream was fulfilled.

"I really had a dream that Mahi bhai was the captain of the team and he was changing the field. I was standing in the slips and he shouted Sanju go there, this is the dream I had, after some days the news came in that he has stepped down as the captain, and I thought how will my dream come true now," Samson said.

"But after a few days we played a pratice match against England at Mumbai, and Dhoni was the captain in the match and he indeed changed my fielding position, my dream came true, I need to tell this to Mahi bhai that my dream was fulfilled," he added.

Thirty-eight-year-old Dhoni has been currently enjoying some time away from the game. He last played competitive cricket during the 2019 World Cup. Dhoni had to face criticism for his slow batting approach during India's matches in the high-profile game.

This year, Dhoni did not find a place for himself in the BCCI's centrally contracted players list.

The board had released the list of central contract list of players for the period from October 2019 to September 2020.

Dhoni is the only captain to win all major ICC trophies (50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy).

Under his leadership, India also managed to attain the number one ranking in Test cricket.

IPL 2020 was slated to begin from March 29, but the tournament has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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You cannot blame Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for missing their favourite son in action during what would have been the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Had COVID-19 not wreaked havoc, the cash-rich T20 league would have been in full swing and all eyes would have been trained on Mahendra Singh Dhoni, returning to cricket after a sabbatical.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

#WhistlePodu ðŸ¦ÂðŸ’› VC: @sakshisingh_r @mahi7781

A post shared by Chennai Super Kings (@chennaiipl) onMay 5, 2020 at 6:04am PDT

Dhoni, CSK's decorated captain who led India to 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup triumph besides shepherding the Yellow Brigade to three IPL crowns, has not played competitive cricket since India's 2019 World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand.

The 38-year old was supposed to make a much-awaited comeback in the IPL and had also attended CSK's camp before the deadly virus forced sport across the world to come to a grinding halt.

CSK, on Tuesday, shared a video where Dhoni is seen spending time with daughter Ziva and his dog at his lawn in Ranchi with his back towards the camera.

"#Thala @msdhoni's back...quite literally so! Smiling face with smiling eyes #WhistlePodu," CSK captioned the tweet, crediting Dhoni's wife Sakshi for capturing the video.

The veteran wicketkeeper batsman is also seen giving the dog some catches with the ball with Ziva for company.

Meanwhile, dashing England wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler has said that Dhoni has always been a big idol and while playing in the IPL one lesson for him has been how the former India skipper manages all the fanfare and still performs in crunch situations.

"MS Dhoni has always been a big idol of mine and chaos is always going around him, people wanting a bit of him, the cricket and the noise.

"....it is such a great lesson to just watch him and see first hand how to manage all that thing if you have to perform at the top level and perform in those crunch moment, that certainly has been one of the massive pluses," Buttler said in an interview to Lancashire Cricket with Warren Hegg.

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There was a time when a certain Mahendra Singh Dhoni from Ranchi made his long-hair look a fad, especially after the dashing wicketkeeper batsman bludgeoned a 123-ball 148 against Pakistan in an ODI at Visakhapatnam on a sultry April afternoon in 2005.

Dhoni never looked back from there and in 2007, when he was asked to lead a young Indian team in the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa, he made history by leading India all the way to lift the crown. The long hair basking in the afterglow of new-found success, Dhoni held aloft the title after India beat Pakistan in a nerve-jangling final.

Dhoni fanatics still love reminiscing his long hair days, and the decorated former India captain's Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Chennai Super Kings, on Thursday made them take a trip down memory lane by sharing an old photo where Dhoni is seen with the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, L. Balaji and Venugopal Rao, all of them clad in formals.

"Men in blue, in various shades of grey before all the #yellove started and this is nothing but GOLD! Circa 2005, Sri Lanka," CSK said in the tweet with the photo on their official handle.

Men in blue, in various shades of grey before all the #yellove started and this is nothing but GOLD! Circa 2005, Sri Lanka. 😍 #WhistlePodu #OnceUponAWhistle pic.twitter.com/k5uqC1EEhi

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 7, 2020

The seven-match ODI series in Sri Lanka saw Dhoni come of age and top the run-scorers' chart scoring 346 runs at 115.33 with a highest score of 183 not out, which is still his highest in 50-over cricket.

India, led by Rahul Dravid, had won the ODI series 6-1.

Dhoni has led India to the 2011 ODI World Cup triumph on home soil as well as the 2013 Champions Trophy victory, and is regarded as one of the greatest players to have played the game. The 38-year old has been on a break since India's semi-final exit in the 2019 World Cup and was supposed to return in the IPL which has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Hockey India gave fans a sneak-peek into what the country's hockey stars are doing during lockdown. With the sporting calendar coming to a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic, many top sportspersons have taken to social media to engage with their fans.

HI conducted a special Twitter Q&A, #AskTeamIndia, and went live on the social media platform with four players -- women's captain Rani Rampal, men's captain Manpreet Singh, goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh and defender Harmanpreet Singh.

"Twitter has always been a great service to engage with our fans, we are happy to have their support in #AskTeamIndia initiative which is fun, meaningful and also in some way I hope we are motivating fans to stay positive and active during these difficult times," said Sreejesh.

Sreejesh revealed during the interaction that he is a fan of the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League because of his fondness for former Indian cricket captain M.S. Dhoni.

The women's hockey team also competed in a fitness challenge and as part of that they tweeted fitness videos to raise funds to help those whose lives have been adversely impacted by the pandemic. Hockey India tweeted pictures that showed how players are spending time indoors.

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Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif on Wednesday backed MS Dhoni to play in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, saying that the wicket-keeper batsman has 'a lot of cricket' left in him and ruling him out will be 'unfair'.

"See, people may have eyes on Dhoni that how he is going to play in the IPL (Indian Premier League) and then there will be talks of the T20 World Cup but my view is different from others. I do not judge Dhoni based on his IPL form. He is a great batsman and he is fit now. He wants to play IPL, do captaincy and is showing his availability. He has a winning mentality and knows how to win games under pressure," Kaif told ANI.

"So, I think ruling him out will be unfair. See a lot of cricket is still left in Dhoni and when a player plays for this long, there are ups and downs in his career. It happens with every cricketer, not just Dhoni," he added.

Dhoni last played competitive cricket during the 2019 World Cup. India was knocked out of the tournament after suffering a semi-final defeat at the hands of New Zealand. Dhoni was run out in the 49th over after scoring 50 runs. After his dismissal, India failed to chase the 240-run target.

Despite Dhoni failing to take India over the line, Kaif termed him a 'champion player'.

"The semifinal of World Cup which we lost, everyone was expecting Dhoni to win it but it did not happen. So, from there on, people thought that Dhoni should not be there. But for me, Dhoni is a champion player. People should look at Dhoni's record in the last 10 to 15 years. See, the current form is important but at the same time his form was not that bad that you rule him out," Kaif said.

The ICC T20 World Cup 2020 is scheduled to be played between October 18 and November 15 at seven venues across Australia.

As the nationwide lockdown as been extended to May 3 due to the coronavirus, the IPL has been postponed indefinitely. "IPL 2020 season has been postponed indefinitely," sources within BCCI told ANI on Wednesday.

Kaif feels that postponing the league is the right decision as life is more important than sports at the moment.

"In the present scenario, life is more important than sports. I think the decision of BCCI is right. When the situation improves, we will think of sports. Sporting events all over the world have either been postponed or cancelled. In our country, cases are rising. So, as of now, the situation is not under control. So I think it's the right decision because at this stage first priority is to beat coronavirus and save the people," he said.

When asked about his views on the window for IPL, Kaif said: "I feel when things are sorted out and there is the possibility of games to be played, then they (BCCI) will look for options."

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It is common for any captain to have a favourite player and when it came to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, it was Suresh Raina, who enjoyed unstinted backing from the former India captain, feels Yuvraj Singh. One of India's greatest limited-overs cricketers, Yuvraj remembered how Dhoni faced selection dilemma when he had to choose two out of him, Yusuf Pathan and Raina in the playing XI during the 2011 World Cup.

"Suresh Raina had a lot of support then, because MS used to back him. Every captain has a favourite player and I think Mahi really backed Raina at that time," Yuvraj said told 'Sports Tak'. Ultimately all three players made the playing XI (although Yusuf was dropped from playing XI mid-tournament) with Yuvraj playing a pivitol role in winning the title. "Yusuf Pathan was also performing well at that time and even I was doing well and was also picking wickets. And Raina was not in a good touch then," he said.

"They did not have a left-arm spinner at that time and I was picking wickets so they did not have any choice," he added. The swashbuckling batsmen also revealed questions were raised over the bat he used to famously hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over during the 2007 T20 World Cup, leading the match referee to check the willow. "The Australian coach at that time came to me and had asked if there was a fibre behind in my bat and asked if it was legal. Has the match referee checked it? So I told him to get it checked."

"Even (Adam) Gilchrist asked me who made our bats. So match referee had also checked my bat. But honestly, that bat was very special for me. I have never played with a bat like that. That one and the 2011 World Cup bat, there were special." Yuvraj was lavish in his praise for Sourav Ganguly for nurturing young talent and picked the BCCI President as his favourite skipper. "Dada would be my favourite captain. He supported me a lot, the most. We were young also so he nurtured the talent," Yuvraj said.

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Former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s wife Sakshi Dhoni is quite an active celebrity on Instagram.  Sakshi Dhoni's posts on Instagram always gets the attention of her fans and this time its no different.

While on lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sakshi and husband MS Dhoni are busy spending their time at their home in Ranchi. Sakshi Dhoni, who is famously known by her dear ones, for her playful and fun-loving nature, shared a photo of her about to bite MS Dhoni's toes while he is busy on his cell phone. “Times when you crave attention from #mrsweetie!” Sakshi captioned her post that received over three lakh ‘likes’ within a few hours.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Times when you crave attention from #mrsweetie !

A post shared by Sakshi Singh Dhoni (@sakshisingh_r) onApr 19, 2020 at 3:40am PDT

MS Dhoni and Sakshi Dhoni are one of the biggest star couples in the world of cricket today. MS and Sakshi Dhoni were childhood friends and share a close bond. They got married in 2010 and had a baby named Ziva, five years later, in 2015.

MS Dhoni's future in cricket is the biggest topic these days as he last played a match was in the 2019 World Cup semifinals against New Zealand. Away from the game since then, Dhoni has been making most of his free time spending it with his wife Sakshi, daughter Ziva and family.

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Veteran India wicketkeeper-batsman and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems to be enjoying his quality time back at his lavish farmhouse located in Ranchi.

MS Dhoni's wife Sakshi Dhoni apparently shared ain Instagram Live video in which Mahi can be seen giving his daughter Ziva a ride on a motorbike in their farmhouse. 

The video was also shared by MS Dhoni's Indian Premier League (IPL) team Chennai Super Kings on Twitter immediately after it went viral. CSK went on to caption the photo with some fun play of words: "Thala Suthifying, literally. #WhistlePodu VC: @SakshiSRawat."

Thala Suthifying, literally! 😍ðŸ¦ÂðŸ’› #WhistlePodu VC: @SaakshiSRawat pic.twitter.com/0xpOxVoVET

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 20, 2020

Sakshi Dhoni had also shared a cute photo of herself and MS Dhoni during lockdown as she playfully goes to lick his toes while he was immersed in his mobile phone.

In normal circumstances, MS Dhoni would have been currently leading three-time champions CSK in the 13th edition of the IPL. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the cash-rich league has been postponed indefinitely by the BCCI.

The former captain's participation at this year's T20 World Cup remains in doubt as he hasn't played international cricket since India's defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final last year.

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Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is convinced that MS Dhoni will not play for India again, adding to the guessing game over the former captain's future. Dhoni, 38, has not appeared for club or country since last year's 50-over World Cup and India's Coronavirus lockdown could threaten his chances of getting back into the national team.

IPL-caused hurdle

The Indian Premier League, the main platform before this year's scheduled T20 World Cup, is likely to be truncated or cancelled because of the pandemic. Harbhajan, who plays with Dhoni at IPL side Chennai Super Kings, said that international retirement was on the cards for Dhoni and that he was increasingly being asked about his teammate. "It's up to him. You need to know whether he wants to play for India again," Harbhajan said in an online forum. "As far as I know him, he won't want to wear India's blue jersey again. IPL he will play, but for India I think he had decided the [2019] World Cup was his last."

Meanwhile, India's limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma said he has no idea what's happening with elusive former captain Dhoni, about whom he hasn't heard anything since India's semi-final exit from the World Cup last year. With the IPL postponed indefinitely, the chances of an improbable India comeback look even more bleak for Dhoni, who has not played cricket for months now.

During an instagram chat with Harbhajan, Rohit said that he has "no news about Dhoni". "We don't know what's happening with him. We haven't heard any news about him. The last match of the World Cup was in July. From there, till now we haven't heard anything, I have no idea," Rohit said during the live chat.

'MS is off the radar'

In his typical tongue-in-cheek manner, Rohit said that anyone who wants to know about Dhoni should personally contact him. "When MS Dhoni is not playing cricket, he goes off radar. He goes underground. Whoever wants to know, can directly go to him, you know he stays in Ranchi. You can't go now but after the lockdown, you take a car, bike or flight go to his place and ask him 'What are you going to do? Will you play or not?" he quipped.

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Former Indian captain Kapil Dev said that his new bald look with a beard is inspired by West Indies great Viv Richards whom he described as his hero and 2011 World Cup-winning Indian captain M.S. Dhoni.

"I had seen Sir Vivian Richards on your Instagram. He is my hero so (I thought) why not? I'll follow my hero. I also saw Dhoni who is also my hero and he had cut his hair after winning the World Cup. So I thought why not, now I have the chance so I did it," Kapil said in a video tweeted by Chennai Super Kings.

Richards respond to the CSK tweet, saying: "Hahaha You took the right inspiration my friend @therealkapildev (sic.)"

Dhoni had famously cut off his long locks after winning the 2007 World T20 and even sported a semi-bald look after winning the 2011 World Cup.

Kapil's bald look with a beard is also quite similar to what Richards has carried for the better part of his retired life. The two have faced off on the field a number of times, most prominently in the final of the 1983 World Cup in which Kapil's rather unheralded Indian team stunned the mighty West Indies and won the trophy.

It was only the third time that the tournament was being held and the first time that a team apart from the West Indies had won it.

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The pressure to replace iconic Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps was "immense" due to high expectations from fans says K L Rahul, who has been doing the wicket-keeping duty for India in the limited overs format for some time now.

Dhoni quit Test cricket in 2014 and has not played for India in the limited overs format since last year's ODI World Cup in England. Rahul kept the wickets in the limited overs series against Australia in January this year and also during the team's tour to New Zealand. "I was nervous when I was doing it for India because of the crowd pressure. If you fumble, people feel that you cannot replace MS Dhoni. The pressure of replacing a legendary wicket-keeper like MSD was immense as it involved people accepting someone else behind the stumps," Rahul told Star Sports on its show 'Cricket Connected'.

Rahul, who has played 32 ODIs and 42 T20Is, said keeping the wickets is not alien to him since he dons the gloves during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and also when he plays for his Ranji side Karnataka. "People who follow cricket know that I haven't been away from wicket-keeping for too long as I donned the gloves in the IPL and every time I played for Karnataka," the 28-year-old said.

"I am always in touch with wicket-keeping but am also somebody who is more than willing to take up the role if the team needs me to," he stressed. Dhoni's career is a matter of intense speculation. Many former players feel that it won't be easy for Dhoni to make it to the national squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Australia.

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Calling MS Dhoni his mentor, wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant said the World Cup-winning skipper has his own way of helping the younger crop as he never provides a full solution to a problem, encouraging them to look for answers. Pant, was heir apparent to Dhoni until KL Rahul emerged as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the limited overs format, making the southpaw no more a certainty in the playing XI.

Mentor MSD

"He [Dhoni] has been like a mentor to me, on and off the field. I can approach him freely with any problem I may be facing, and he will never give me the entire solution for it," Pant said in an Instagram live session with his IPL team Delhi Capitals. "This is so that I don't become entirely dependent on him, he gives me hints only that helps me solve the issue myself. He's also one of my favourite batting partners, though we don't bat together often.

Perfect planning

"If Mahi bhai is at the crease, you know things are sorted. He's got a plan in his head, and all you need to do is follow it!" Dhoni, who has not played competitive cricket since July, was supposed to make a much awaited comeback with the IPL, which has now been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Former India chief selector MSK Prasad listed out the differences between Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as captains. Speaking during an online live video session, Prasad states the three have altogether different styles of captaincy that has brought so much success over the last few years.

"If you look at fundamental styles, leadership has got so many different styles. These three (Dhoni, Kohli, Rohit) are three different guys and I am sure all three are equally good," Prasad said in an interview uploaded on Fancode app.

"They are three guys who have three different styles. Mahi is absolutely cool, you never know what is there in his mind until it is executed, he's very very cool, and very very accommodative whereas Virat is pretty clear. He's at you all the time, he's very clear in his mind what he wants. If you are talking about Rohit, he's more of an accommodative sort of a guy. He definitely has that empathy towards other players and he thinks from their hats," he said.

Prasad also spoke about the Dhoni's future with Team India. He revealed they had a discussion regarding Dhoni taking some time off from the game and that is why they backed youngster Rishabh Pant in that position.

"We had a discussion and Mahi (Dhoni) didn't want to play for some time. So we moved on and picked Rishabh Pant and we have been backing him. Now KL (Rahul) has also done extremely well in the matches that he played in New Zealand," Prasad said.

"So it would have been nice if the IPL was being played and we would have seen old glimpses of Mahi but now it's a very tricky situation."

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Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir believes the credit for Rohit Sharma's meteoric rise in white-ball cricket must be given to former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Since making his debut in 2007, Rohit was languishing in the middle-order with consistency being his main issue.

Dhoni seemingly took note of Rohit's hidden talent and gave him a long rope. He then promoted Rohit as opener in 2013 and that move worked wonders for him as the right-hander has gone on to become one of the most lethal top-order batsmen in white-ball cricket.

"Where Rohit Sharma is today, it is because of M.S. Dhoni," Gambhir told Sports Tak as per India Today.

"You can talk about the selection committee and team management, but if you do not have the backing from your captain then it is all useless. Everything is in the hands of the captain.

"How Dhoni backed Rohit Sharma over a period of time, I don't think any other player has been given such support," he added.

Earlier, Gambhir had described Rohit as the best white-ball cricketer in the world. In his birthday wish for Rohit, Gambhir wrote: "Happy Birthday to the best white-ball cricketer in the world Rohit Sharma! Have a great year ahead!!"

"Don't know about that Gauti bhai. But loving your work," Rohit responded to the high praise from his former teammate.

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Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Sunday shared a throwback picture with 'legend' MS Dhoni saying that he misses 'being called tilli from behind the stumps'.

Chahal took to Twitter to share a picture with Dhoni and captioned the post: "Miss being called tilli from behind the stumps by the legend..!!"

Miss being called tilli from behind the stumps by the legend..!! ðŸ¤ÂðŸ‡®ðŸ‡³ pic.twitter.com/iWGz6E11Pw

— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) May 3, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on sports across the globe as all the sporting events have either been cancelled or postponed.

The COVID-19 crisis in the country also put an indefinite halt to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in which Dhoni was to slated to make his return to the field. The former captain has not played any international match after India's exit from the 2019 World Cup.

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Spinner Harbhajan Singh on Wednesday said that MS Dhoni was a very shy person when he first came to the team and said that the wicket-keeper finally started opening up after the 2008 Sydney Test against Australia.

Harbhajan was doing an Instagram Live Session on the official handle of Chennai Super Kings and it was then that the spinner was asked to name his favourite memories with Dhoni.

Answering the question, Harbhajan replied: "We have played a lot of cricket together, we have done tours to probably all the countries, MS Dhoni was a very shy guy, he never used to come to our rooms, he was a very quiet guy, in the 2008 series against Australia, the Sydney Test brought the team together, from that time onwards, he started opening up".

"He was a young guy in the team, he was the captain but still he was very shy, he used to give suggestions, but he allowed everyone to do their thing, he is still the same, he gives everyone all the freedom, this is probably something people should learn from him, you should give space to bowlers," he added.

The 2008 Sydney Test between India and Australia is still remembered by everyone as Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds were involved in an on-field tussle. Symonds had alleged that Harbhajan had passed a racist remark upon him and since then, the incident is known as 'MonkeyGate'.

During the 2008 Sydney Test, India also had to face few bad decisions and the side ended up losing the match. For the altercation with Symonds, Harbhajan was handed a three-match ban by referee Mike Procter although the charges were downgraded on 29 January 2008 to the lesser charge of using abusive language and the ban was lifted.

Thirty-eight-year-old Dhoni has been currently enjoying some time away from the game. He last played competitive cricket during the 2019 World Cup.

This year, Dhoni did not find a place for himself in the BCCI's centrally contracted players list. The board had released the list of central contract list of players for the period from October 2019 to September 2020.

Dhoni is the only captain to win all major ICC trophies (50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy). Under his leadership, India also managed to attain the number one ranking in Test cricket. IPL 2020 was slated to begin from March 29, but the tournament has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Virat Kohli's Indian team still has a long way to go before it is spoken of in the same breath as Australia of 2000s, feels former India pacer Ashish Nehra. Under Kohli's leadership, India earned its maiden series victory in Australia in 2018-19, achieving the feat after trying for seven decades. However, it can't be discounted that absence of Steve Smith and David Warner due to ball tampering ban turned out to be an important factor.

"This Indian team has to still cover a lot of distance in order to match up with that Australia team (led by Steve Waugh and then Ricky Ponting)," Nehra said during an interaction with ex-player Aakash Chopra on his show 'Aakash Vani'. "You are talking about an Australian team which won three consecutive World Cups and before that reached the final in 1996, won 18-19 Test matches in home and away conditions," Nehra added. He also did not appreciate the fact that every now and then team combination is being tinkered with. "It's not like this Indian team can not reach there but I believe the core group is very important. A person gets confused after watching many dishes on the table and so it's important to have fewer but better dishes," Nehra made his displeasure clear. He the went on to cite how team management had handled Rishabh Pant's career so far.

"KL Rahul is playing on the fifth position and Pant, the person you were preparing to succeed M.S. Dhoni, is serving drinks," the left-arm fast bowler, known for his straight forward views, said. Thanks to his inconsistency, Pant had lost his place in the Indian team in white-ball cricket to Rahul. "I know he (Pant) has missed his chances and there is no doubt about it but then you have kept him in the team because you saw the potential in him at 22-23 years," Nehra said.

Ashish Nehra

"There are a lot of talented players but they should be backed for a longer duration. Today also when we talk about the number five and six slots in Indian ODI side, then we are not sure about it," Nehra said. Nehra, who played 17 Tests, 120 ODIs and 27 T20 Internationals, feels Kohli's captaincy is still a work in progress. "Virat Kohli as a player needs no recognition as his career graph tells the entire story. Kohli as a player has done amazingly well. In captaincy, I still feel he is a work in progress. I can say he is a little bit of an impulsive captain," said the 41-year-old.

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Former India pacer Ashish Nehra has said that M.S. Dhoni was always open to a chat with his players after a match and his hotel room would always be open for them after the games. "People think that Dhoni doesn't talk much. That is not the case. His room would remain open in the night after matches. Anyone could walk in, order food and discuss cricket," Nehra said while speaking to former India opener Aakash Chopra on his show 'Aakash Vani'.

"Be it in CSK or in the Indian team, Dhoni would pass on the message on what he thinks a player needs to do during a conversation and that would be enough for the players to get the drift," added Nehra who played a lot of cricket under Dhoni's captaincy both for India and at Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Nehra also spoke on former India captain and current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly, saying he was a leader who used to back his players to the hilt.

"Dhoni had senior players around him when he took over and the challenge was how to manage them. Dada had a team of juniors and he backed them to the hilt. He would go all out to back his players," said the former left-arm pacer who played 17 Tests, 120 ODIs and 27 T20Is.

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Out-of-favour wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel does not consider himself unlucky to have played in the same era as Mahendra Singh Dhoni as he knows that the former captain grabbed his opportunities way better than him. Patel last Test appearance for India was in 2018, while the last time he played an ODI for the country was way back in 2012.

"I don't see myself as unlucky to be playing in the Dhoni era. I started my career before him, and I had the opportunity to perform before him," Patel, 35, said during an interaction with Fever Network. "Dhoni came in to the team because I did not have a couple of good series and I was dropped. I know people can say it just to gain sympathies that I was born in the wrong era. But I don't believe that," he added.

"Whatever Dhoni has achieved was something very, very special and he achieved because he made sure of the opportunities he received. I don't feel unlucky at all," Patel asserted.

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His ice cool demeanour is the stuff of legends but former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has no qualms conceding that he is not immune to pressure and fear. Dhoni, lending support to MFORE—an initiative offering mind conditioning programs to achieve peak performance in sports—offered his perspective on the issue of mental health. "In India, I feel there is still a big issue of accepting that there is some weakness when it comes to the mental aspects, but we generally term it as mental illness," Dhoni was quoted as saying in a press release issued by MFORE.

"Nobody really says that,.When I go to bat, the first five to 10 deliveries, my heart rate is elevated. I feel the pressure. I feel a bit scared because that's how everybody feels—how to cope with that?" the World Cup-winning captain asked. "This is a small problem but a lot of times we hesitate to say it to a coach and that's why the relationship between a player and coach is very important be it any sport," said Dhoni, who hasn't played any international cricket since India's World Cup semi-final exit last July.

"Mental conditioning coach should not be the one who comes for 15 days because you are only sharing the experience. If the mental conditioning coach is constantly with the player, he can understand what are the areas which are affecting his sport," Dhoni, who led CSK to three IPL titles, said.

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The World Cup winning skipper will not only invest in Khatabook but also become its brand ambassador

In a fun video posted by CSK, MS Dhoni can be seen pulling Suresh Raina's leg. In the video, Raina walks up to Dhoni and hugs him before Dhoni jokingly reminds the batsman that his beard has turned white. They break into a laughter after that. CSK took to Twitter to post the video which read: "Like the sky! @msdhoni @ImRaina #WhistlePodu."

For Indian football team midfielder Anirudh Thapa, former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is his favourite cricketer.

CSK, on Tuesday, shared a video where Dhoni is seen spending time with daughter Ziva and his dog at his lawn in Ranchi with his back towards the camera.

Dhoni last played for India in the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in July last year.

Rohit Sharma feels the best way forward is to directly ask Dhoni.