IPL 2020: MS Dhoni Practising His Wicketkeeping in UAE is New: Irfan Pathan on CSK Skipper

Is it a sign of things to come and Dhoni is one-up on all the other franchises?

MS Dhoni has been a calming influence amid all the troubles Chennai Super Kings have gone through in the last week. From players testing positive to ace players Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh pulling out with about three weeks to go for the start of the Indian Premier League in UAE, to have Dhoni around with all his experience of leading teams is priceless.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said that is is something strange about how Dhoni is going about this year. Considering in UAE the pitches will assist spinners because the balls will spin and keep low, Dhoni is working on his wicketkeeping, something Pathan has not seen all these years. Is it a sign of things to come and Dhoni is one-up on all the other franchises?

“We have seen a new visual where we have seen MS Dhoni keeping the wickets. This never happens, this is something new for me because I have played cricket for so many years with him, whether it is for the Indian team or in the league with CSK, I have never seen him keeping wickets,” Pathan said during Star Sports Cricket Connected.

Pathan also observed that Dhoni has been checking all the new bowlers in the side to see what they have got.

“So this is because he has not played cricket for a long time. I guess there was some leg-spinner bowling, so he may be trying to check the new bowlers but it is good to see that he is doing keeping during practice,” Irfan Pathan said.

IPL 13 is scheduled to start from September 19 and the BCCI released the much-awaited fixtures on Sunday, bringing an end to all speculations after CSK players tested positive. Three venues will be used for the 53-day tournament.