MS Dhoni to spend more time with Indian Army after international retirement: Arun Pandey

MS Dhoni, the former Indian cricketer, will now be devoting more time to the Indian Army after hanging his boots from international cricket. The 39-year-old holds the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army and even served the Indian Army in the Kashmir Valley last year.

On Saturday, July 15, on India’s 74th Independence Day, the veteran bid adieu to Team India through a heartfelt post on Instagram. About his army duties, Dhoni’s friend and business partner Arun Pandey said that the Jharkhand-born will now be spending more time with the army.

“One thing is for sure, he will be spending more time with the Army. He will also give time to his commercial ventures and other commitments. We will sit down soon and decide the way forward,” Pandey was quoted as saying in Times Now.

MS Dhoni thought to be mentally free, says Pandey

About the retirement, Pandey stated that he had intuitions about the same since Dhoni wasn’t getting any youngster. Also, that the T20 World Cup, later this year, had to be postponed, might have prompted him to hang his boots.

Dhoni is currently in Chennai, attending a preparatory camp for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pandey also reckoned thatthe Jharkhand-born might have planned his retirement, bearing in mind India’s independence and his love for the army.

“I was aware that he would do it soon but did not know the exact timing. Anyway, it was for him to decide. He had started IPL preparations but it was postponed and then the T20 World Cup was postponed, he thought to be mentally free,” he stated.

“And since August 15 is a special day for the Army, he must have thought on those lines. The T20 World Cup postponement was surely a factor as he planned for it,” Pandey added.

The IPL is set to get underway on September 19, and his ardent followers have been waiting eagerly to see him on the field. Dhoni hasn’t played any cricket since he got run out in the 2019 World Cup semi-final and he will be looking to make his comeback with a bang.