MS Dhoni's long break from cricket ever since India’s ouster from World Cup 2019 has become a topic of discussion for the fans and pundits lately.
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Following the quadrennial event in July last year, the veteran wicketkeeper took a sabbatical from international cricket to train with the Territorial Army – 106 TA Battalion (Para) in Jammu and Kashmir for two weeks, which saw him miss the tour of the Caribbean.
Dhoni then skipped white-ball series at home against South Africa, Bangladesh, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia and he was not part of the recently held T20I and ODI series in New Zealand as well.
While there is no clarity on Dhoni’s future with the Indian team, one thing is certain that he will return to action in the IPL 2020, where he will lead three-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
The IPL will be a platform for the national selectors to pick the squad for T20 World Cup in October and Dhoni could be in contention for a berth provided that he does well for CSK.
However, legendary India all-rounder Kapil Dev is not excited about Dhoni's comeback during the IPL, saying the league is for future stars and suggested that he should play a few matches to be considered for selection in India's T20 World Cup squad.
"It's not just Dhoni who is playing the IPL. I am a person who looks for a young player who we can be proud of in the next 10 years. I think Dhoni has already done so much for the country," Kapil said during the fifth edition of the HCL Grant event in New Delhi on Thursday (February 27).
"As his fan, yes (would like to see him playing the T20 World Cup) but as a cricketer, I think it all depends on the management. He hasn't played for one year. He should play more matches to be on the team. There shouldn't be different parameters for different players. He is on his last leg. I am his fan so I would love to see him but in IPL I am looking for the next generation," he added.
With the 13th edition of IPL starting on March 29, Dhoni is expected to arrive in Chennai on March 1 and starts training at Chepauk. In will be his earliest arrival in Chennai before the start of an IPL season. In years gone by, the 38-year-old used to be busy with the Indian cricket team and thus join the CSK boys just prior to the beginning of the tournament.
(With PTI inputs)
