A lot has been said about MS Dhoni’s future, his availability as well as how does he fit into the current India setup. But according to India’s limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma, Dhoni should make the call himself and only play international cricket if he is in good shape. Dhoni, a former Indian captain, has not played since India’s exit from the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-finals and has on a self-imposed exile from cricket for the last 10 months. His absence added to the opinions and thoughts of many experts and former cricketers have only made the fans more anxious about Dhoni’s future plans. Rohit Sharma Reiterates India ‘Must Win at Least Two World Cups’ in Next Three Years.

But according to Rohit, Dhoni should play international cricket when he is fit and in good shape. The Hitman was speaking to former national teammate Suresh Raina in a live interview session on Instagram when he mentioned that Dhoni has been tremendous in his capacity as an Indian captain as well as a player but having stayed away for over 10 months from cricket, it is only right that he returns to international cricket whenever he is fit. Rohit Sharma Wants Suresh Raina Back in the Indian Team, CSK Batsman Also Hopeful to Don Blue Jersey Again.

Raina, however, added that Dhoni looked sharped and fit as ever when he joined the Chennai Super Kings’ preparatory camp ahead of IPL 2020. The CSK skipper even smashed a 91-ball 123 in a practice match against a local side and was timing the ball perfectly. “To be honest he was striking the ball pretty well and the bat flow seemed quite good. He is also fit but only he knows what is in his mind. However, I can’t say what his plans are now but yes he does have cricket left in him,” said Raina.

Watch Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina Talk in Instagram Live Session

“If that is the case, he should play,” Rohit responded after hearing Raina before adding, “Hope he starts playing again. Yes but only he knows, whenever he becomes available people should ask him what his plans are.”

Rohit also hoped that Raina himself would make a national team comeback and said that he deserved a call-up. "I feel that we have seen you play for such a long time, somewhere I feel that somehow or the other you should be back in the team. But then we will see, we make do with what we have in our hands," Rohit Sharma told Suresh Raina in the Instagram live session,” he added.

Meanwhile, both Rohit and Raina would have been playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) under normal circumstances but IPL 2020 was suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic crisis and the nationwide lockdown. Rohit would have been leading defending champions Mumbai Indians and defending the IPL crown, while Raina’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) would have been chasing their fourth IPL title and would have also hoped to exact revenge on Mumbai Indians for last year’s final defeat.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 13, 2020 09:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).