MS Dhoni to start training with CSK teammates from 2nd March

Chennai Super Kings’ mercurial captain and one of the best finishers ever in the Indian Premier League, MS Dhoni will be looking towards to having a grand tournament as he tries to make a bid for a spot in Indian team squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. The three-time IPL winning captain will definitely want to start on a good note this season.

Dhoni, who has not played a single game of cricket of any sort since the semi-final of 2019 World Cup, will resume training from March 2, alongside other CSK players, as per reports of Times of India. He will begin his return to the game at the home of the Chennai franchise, the MA Chidambaram Stadium in the heart of the city, which he calls his second home.

MS Dhoni to train with Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu

CSK CEO KS Viswanathan mentioned that Dhoni will begin his pre-season training with the franchise’s players who are available at the time. The full preparatory camp for all the players will start from March 19. It is expected that the wicketkeeper-batsman will train with Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu, who have already been training in Chennai for the past three weeks or so.

Dhoni will be with them for a couple of weeks, before taking a break and then returning when all the players are available, sources said. In the last two years, the Super Kings’ practice sessions have managed to attract crowds in thousands and with Dhoni set for an early advent for groundwork, similar numbers are likely this time around also. It has also been reported that the 38-year-old has already begun training with the Jharkhand Ranji team in Ranchi some time back.

The Chennai Super Kings will begin their journey in the IPL 2020 against Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener at the Wankhede Stadium. It will be a repeat of the final of last season, where MI defeated CSK by one run to lift a record fourth IPL title. Chennai meanwhile has managed to reach the finals of the tournament in both 2018 and 2019, winning the trophy in 2018.

The franchise had decided to release just five players before the auction, which was held in December of 2019, retaining the majority of the veteran players that have been the core of their success. In the auction, however, they successfully bid for Piyush Chawla, Josh Hazlewood, Sam Curran, and R Sai Kishore.

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