Former India skipper MS Dhoni has been out of the national side since India’s ouster from the ICC World Cup 2019 losing to New Zealand in the semifinal. Head coach Ravi Shastri opined that the legendary cricketer’s return to the international circuit will depend on his performance in the upcoming Indian Premier League.
However, with the COVID-19 halting the human race across the globe, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has deferred the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League until April 15 which was scheduled to begin from March 29. With no signs of being less, there are possibilities that IPL 2020 can be called off.
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MS Dhoni began his training from March 2 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium for the 13th edition of the IPL. But former India cricketer-turned commentator Aakash Chopra believes the IPL was never going to be a yardstick for Dhoni and he can still make a comeback to the national team.
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 in a YouTube video.
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Moreover, Aakash Chopra feels MS Dhoni will be automatically selected, once he makes himself available due to his experience on the international circuit. India would have like to Dhoni’s experience by their side when they leave for Australia for the ICC T20 World Cup.
“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,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
