The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicked off last month, and the annual festival of cricket has served up some fantastic cricketing action so far. As usual, there have been some tight finishes, as well as excellent individual performances.
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The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have all put in superb performances for their sides so far, in a tournament with added significance this year as the T20 World Cup is set to take place immediately after, in June.
As far as selection for the Indian squad is concerned, there are still a few key questions unanswered, including the wicketkeepers to be selected for the tournament.
Some of the contenders for the spot include Rishabh Pant, Jitesh Sharma, Sanju Samson and KL Rahul, among others. However, there is one player, officially retired from international cricket, who has provided some real entertainment in this IPL season.
Wicketkeeper MS Dhoni, who led India to victory in the first-ever T20 World Cup in 2007, and then the 50-over World Cup in 2011, has been on fire for CSK in this IPL season. In five innings, he has scored 87 runs at a strike rate of 256, including eight sixes and zero dismissals.
Now 42, the chances of Dhoni making a comeback to India colours are extremely low, given he officially retired from the international arena in 2020. For the last four years, he has played only for CSK, with minimal training and no competitive action between IPL seasons.
Given India’s need for a wicketkeeper and a finisher in the squad, a few experts have (half-jokingly or otherwise) suggested that Dhoni could make a comeback. However, it does appear that the man himself may not be overly keen on the prospect.
Having been retired for this long, it might be difficult to re-adjust to the rigours of an international tournament, as well as maintain the required fitness levels. At some point, India will have to move on completely from Dhoni, and bringing up his potential return is unlikely to bear any fruit.
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Rahul is a content producer for The Sporting News’ India edition.
