MS Dhoni Returns to Competitive Cricket With MI vs CSK IPL 2020 for the First Time After India vs New Zealand CWC 2019 Semi-Final
He was emotional when CSK returned to the IPL fold after a two-year ban. But Dhoni marshalled his troops well and led to title glory. It is him returning this time after a year-long sabbatical. It has been 62 weeks since he stepped off a cricket field slightly in tears due to a thumb injury towards the end of a disappointing World Cup defeat.
MS Dhoni returns to play a competitive cricket match for the first time since walking off the Manchester cricket ground in July last year. 436 days have passed since he last played a game. In between, Dhoni completed his training with parachute regiment of the Indian Territorial Army, kept his future afloat and eventually retired from international cricket. The IPL was always supposed to mark his return to cricket action. But from what the circumstances now look like, it comes six months too late. The IPL 2020 was originally scheduled for March and then it was Dhoni’s stage to prove his worth and make the national team for ICC 2020 T20 World Cup. IPL 2020: MS Dhoni Returns to Action As Chennai Super Kings Begin IPL 13 Against Arch Nemesis; Here’s What CSK and Dhoni Fans Can Look Forward to This Season.
The T20 World Cup has since been suspended, postponed and changed hosts (India will be hosting the next T20 WC while Australia gets the next year's edition) and Dhoni had to call it quits. He will be almost 40 when the next World Cup eventually gets going and playing at that level at that age is mostly beyond dreams even if it meant Dhoni. Of course, unless you are Imran Tahir who played the 2019 World Cup aged 40. And so Dhoni returns to Chennai Super Kings, a team he has always led, always lifted and where he has always been the ultimate Thala. MS Dhoni Fans Wait With Bated Breath To See 'Thala' Return to Cricket Field With MI vs CSK Dream11 IPL 2020 Season Opener.
Dhoni has led them CSK to eight IPL finals and three titles in 10 seasons – Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended for two seasons between 2016 and 2017. As a captain, he has led them in 160 matches and has a winning percentage of 61.28. As a batsman, Dhoni in CSK has 3858 runs from 143 innings with 21 half-centuries. He played a crucial role in the team’s IPL title win on return to the tournament two seasons ago.
He was emotional when CSK returned to the IPL fold after a two-year ban. But Dhoni marshalled his troops well and led them to title glory. It is him returning this time after a year-long sabbatical. It has been 62 weeks since he stepped off a cricket field slightly in tears due to a thumb injury towards the end of a disappointing World Cup semi-final defeat.
A particular tweet brought out 627,840 minutes had passed since Dhoni last played. 10, 464 hours – a little less than his ODI runs aggregate – have gone. But Dhoni eventually returns. He won’t be coming in Indian colours any longer. It is in yellow we will see this time and from this time on.
It is peculiar that he retired from the international stage at 19:29 on August 15. And will begin his cricket return exactly a month, four days and a minute later. This could be his second innings or perhaps the start of another end. only time will tell.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 19, 2020 07:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).