With various sporting events being called-off all-around the world thanks to the spread of the deadly coronavirus; dark clouds loom over the start of the Indian Premier League’s 13th season as well. The IPL 2020 has already been postponed to April 15 from March 29.
All the eight franchises and the BCCI, along with the IPL governing council have had meetings over the past few days on what could happen if the threat of coronavirus continues to have a big impact on sports. They are also preparing for possible cancellation of the whole tournament as well.
WATCH- MS Dhoni spotted riding a bike in Ranchi
However, some crucial questions remained unanswered as to what will happen to MS Dhoni, for whom this IPL 2020 is supposed to be a big comeback vehicle into the Indian team. The 38-year-old former captain has not played for the Men in Blue since his half-century against New Zealand in the semifinals of the 2019 World Cup in England.
It was reported that Dhoni’s return depended on how well his IPL 2020 goes and then the selection committee would have taken a decision on his inclusion in Team India, especially with the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled in Australia later this year.
"He will be back in the reckoning only if he has a good IPL. And why only him? There are so many senior and young players who will play in the IPL. If they do well, they ought to be considered too. So, you could see some surprise inclusions," a senior BCCI source had told PTI some time back.
This question was seemingly answered by Aakash Chopra in a video on his YouTube channel. "For a player like Dhoni, IPL was never going to be a yardstick. If he had scored runs in the IPL, experts would have been like 'select Dhoni', 'do this and do that'. MS Dhoni knows what he is doing, whether he wants to come back or not," Aakash Chopra said.
Chopra felt that Indian batting needed his experience, especially after the ODI series whitewash in New Zealand and visible chinks in the middle order armor.
"IPL, I don't think was a critical factor. If he wants to come back, he will make himself available, if the selectors decide to pick him, he will be picked automatically because you won't get experience in supermarkets. Dhoni is a hugely experienced player. If India needs MS Dhoni, then with or without IPL, he will come back,” he further added.
Here is the video:
