MS Dhoni gives a pep talk to the Jharkhand Ranji team

Indian limited-overs skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is enjoying his time out from international cricket, promoting his biopic MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and spending his time with his family. The ODI team will soon be in action in the five-match series against New Zealand. So ahead of the start of the Jharkhand’s Ranji Trophy 2016/17 campaign against Maharashtra, Dhoni went to the Karnail Singh Stadium to talk to the boys.

He exchanged pleasantries with the state team coach Rajiv Kumar and the players but clarified that he was not there to play with the team but was there just to boost the morale of the boys. “I won’t be playing this Ranji Trophy game but will be around with the boys. I don’t want to take the place of a youngster who will benefit by playing here,” Dhoni said.

Right from the early days in his career, he was never a fan of spending hours in the gym, the Ranchi boy sweated it out in the gym and believed that always was enough work out for him. “I was never a great believer in going to the gym because I was playing regularly in all three formats and I preferred to give my body rest.”

Dhoni further added, “When you are playing right through the year, it is difficult at times to maintain a proper diet and find time or energy for the gym. But after retiring from Tests, I have started going to the gym regularly and am able to watch my diet, and it has helped me.”

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He has been working hard on his fitness these days and looks a lot fitter. “I have lost an additional 4 per cent of body fat, which is good. Nowadays, as I am not playing all three formats, I am able to plan my off-season much better,”

Jharkhand Coach Rajiv told Indian Express about the conversation Dhoni had with the boys. “He spoke about how it is important to build partnerships while batting and also about bowling as a unit. He also gave the boys confidence by talking about how the standard of cricket in the state had improved over the years. His messages are simple but when it comes from someone of his stature, it means a lot. By spending time with the players, Dhoni has boosted the morale of the side,”

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