Dhoni, who was longing to return to competitive cricket after a gap of more than eight months, was about to make a comeback with the IPL 2020.
India's M.S. Dhoni in action during the 28th match of World Cup 2019 between India and Afghanistan at The Rose Bowl in Southampton, England on June 22, 2019. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)
With the fate of the 13th edition of IPL hanging in balance and so is the future of MS Dhoni, cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has said the wicketkeeper-batsman’s India comeback was never dependent on his performance at the mega event this year.
“It’s a huge misconception that Dhoni’s comeback to the Indian team was dependent on his performance in the IPL,” Chopra told IANS.
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“If that is how we will view Dhoni as a player and his career and what he has achieved as a player, then I think we are just knocking at the wrong door because it’s not right,” he added.
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Dhoni, who was longing to return to competitive cricket after a gap of more than eight months, was about to make a comeback with the IPL 2020. But as the cash-rich league is postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, there have been quite a few debates on his future with an eye on the World T20 because head coach Ravi Shastri had earlier said that the IPL would decide if Dhoni would be a part of the team for the showpiece event.
The T20 World Cup 2020 is slated to be played in the October-November window but given the ongoing crisis due to COVID-19, the tournament is likely to either get postponed or cancelled.
“See, if the team wants him to play, all that will happen. But if the IPL doesn’t take place this year, the T20 World Cup doesn’t happen this year, of course he will be a year older and with him out of the cricket for more than 18 months, you can assume that you might not see him play again for India,” pointed Chopra.
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