MS Dhoni takes up mentor's role for Jharkhand

Dhoni retired from Test cricket in 2014

MS Dhoni has recently been in the news for his biopic MS Dhoni – The Untold Story, but Dhoni has also been involved in matters on the field as he is playing the role of mentor for his state side, Jharkhand.

It is very rare for an Indian cricket team captain to train with a domestic side, but Dhoni, who only plays the shorter formats of the game now, has been spending time with the team of Jharkhand lately.

Dhoni made a surprise visit to the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday afternoon, where the Jharkhand players were having a training session. Dhoni was well received by the players and coach Rajiv Kumar.

With Jharkhand starting its Ranji Trophy campaign against Maharashtra from Thursday, Dhoni will share valuable tips to the Jharkhand Ranji team.

Speaking to the media Dhoni said that, "I won’t be playing this Ranji Trophy game but will be around with the boys. I don’t want to take the place of a youngster who will benefit by playing here."

Dhoni kicked-off the session by bowling in the nets, later he had a go with the bat and also took time off to give some tips to the bowlers and the batsmen. He also had a talk with the players at the end of the day.

The former Indian Test captain was busy with promotional activities of his biopic over the last month but has found it tough to make time for training on the field. However, with the movie being released, he seems to have enough time to hit the gyms and spend time in the nets.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Dhoni said, “I was never a great believer in going to the gym because I was playing regularly and I preferred to give my body rest. When you are playing right through the year, it is difficult at times to maintain a proper diet and find time or energy for the gym.” 

“But after retiring from Tests, I have started going to the gym regularly and am able to watch my diet, and it has helped me. I have lost an additional 4 per cent of body fat, which is good. Nowadays, as I am not playing all three formats, I am able to plan my off-season much better.”

Having Dhoni in the dugout can only turn out to be a path towards success for this Jharkhand team.