Dhoni sounds warning bells, smashes five sixes in training

CHENNAI: MS Dhoni will be back to playing competitive cricket for the first time since July 2019 at this year’s Indian Premier League and the Chennai Super Kings captain has been busy at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai as he is busy training with his team.

And on Friday, he showed a glimpse of what he is still capable of as he sent the ball packing during a net session. In a video tweeted by Star Sports Tamil, Dhoni was seen hitting five back-toback sixes in the nets.

Dhoni’s return is being touted as one of the central themes of the upcoming IPL with India’s head coach Ravi Shastri saying that the veteran wicketkeeper will put himself in contention for making it to the Indian team that travels to Australia for the 2020 T20 World Cup later in the year if he has a good run in the cash-rich league.

“It all depends on when he starts playing and how he is playing during the IPL. What are the other people doing with the wicket-keeping gloves or what is the form of those players as opposed to Dhoni’s form. The IPL becomes a massive tournament because that could be the last tournament after which more or less your 15 is decided.

“There might be one player who might be there and thereabouts in case of an injury or whatever. But your team I would say would be known after the IPL. What I would say is rather than speculating of who is where, wait for the IPL to get over and then you are in a position to take a call on who are the best 17 in the country,” he had said.

Chennai Super Kings will be facing defending champions Mumbai Indians in their first match of the season in what is a repeat of last year’s final. The match will be held at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29.

Meanwhile, England all-rounder Chris Woakes has pulled out of this season’s IPL, according to the PA news agency as reported by Sky Sports.

According to the report published on www. skysports.com, PA understands that Woakes has informed the franchise about his decision and a search is on to look for an overseas replacement.

The report says Woakes opted to pull out in a bid to keep himself fresh for the international summer.

Woakes was roped in by Delhi Capitals for his base price of Rs 1.50 crore in the IPL auction.

Delhi Capitals are already fretting over the injuries to South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada and India’s experienced quick Ishant Sharma.