Former Indian captain MS Dhoni has returned to training in individual capacity ahead of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League. Dhoni, who leads Chennai Super Kings in the tournament, has been away from cricket action for over a year, making his last appearance in the semifinal of the 2019 World Cup against New Zealand.
According to reports, MS Dhoni has resumed training at the indoor facility of JSCA International Stadium Complex. Dhoni used bowling machines to practice, according to a JSCA official - presumably due to the unavailability of bowlers amid the situation surrounding coronavirus pandemic.
“He visited the JSCA International Stadium Complex last week. He practised at the indoor facility using bowling machine," a JSCA official told New Indian Express on the condition of anonymity.
"I honestly don’t know what are his plans or whether he will come back for training. We only know he has visited the facility for practice,” the official further said.
Earlier, Dhoni's teammate at CSK Suresh Raina had also said that the former Indian captain has been "training hard" at his home.
"I have been speaking to a lot of the players, everything has been planned. Deepak Chahar has been playing and MS Dhoni is also training hard at his home. Everyone has to do it because this game requires a lot of fitness, lot of commitment,” Raina had said on Star Sports' Cricket Connected.
A CSK official earlier told IANS that all the Indian players of the franchise will assemble in Chennai after undergoing coronavirus tests and will fly to UAE within 48 hours of their arrival at the Tamil Nadu capital. It has already been made clear in the IPL Governing Council meet that teams can travel to UAE only after August 20.
