With the forthcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) postponed until April 15 amid the outbreak of COVID-19, the return of the former India skipper MS Dhoni to the national side looks highly unlikely. But his childhood coach Keshav Banerjee feels that his ward will be in the squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia later this year.
Meanwhile, Dhoni went on a sabbatical after India’s ouster from the ICC World Cup 2019 losing to New Zealand in the semifinals. While the entire country has been debating about his return and subsequent retirement, MS Dhoni has remained mum and has enjoyed the holiday taking part in various activities.
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However, he returned to training in the first week of March, to gear up for the 13th edition of IPL. He was joined by the likes of Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla, and Murali Vijay at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, where thousands turned out to see their favourite star train.
But MS Dhoni had to return after Chennai Super Kings called off their training due to the rise in COVID-19. And with no signs of improvements, BCCI is pondering to cancel the cash-rich league. If that happens, the 38-year-old cricketer from Jharkhand will find it difficult to prove his mettle and comeback in the India squad. But his childhood coach doesn’t feel so.
“In the current scenario, IPL looks unlikely and we will have to wait for BCCI’s call. His (Dhoni’s) position will become tough obviously. But my sixth sense says he will get a chance in the T20 World Cup, which will be his last,” Banerjee told PTI.
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“I spoke to him last after he returned from Chennai and I’m in constant touch with his parents. He’s doing his fitness training and is fully fit. Now let’s wait for the BCCI’s decision. There’s no tournament. ICC tournaments are off till June. So we will have to wait and see,” he added.
Meanwhile, there have been speculations going around among former cricketers about the return of MS Dhoni. It will be interesting to see how the new selection panel led by Sunil Joshi handles this when the madness of COVID-19 gets over.