Team India coach Ravi Shastri hinted at Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s return to the Indian team for the World T20 in Australia later in 2020 if the former captain believes he is good enough to play for the national team. Shastri said that Dhoni wanted to take a break and he will now play the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.
Speculations regarding Dhoni’s future have been on for quite a while as he has not played for India since their semi-final exit at the 2019 World Cup in England.
Following that, Dhoni took a sabbatical from international cricket and missed India’s tour of West Indies as well as the home series against South Africa, Bangladesh and the ongoing series against West Indies. In the meantime, he trained with the Territorial Army — 106 TA Battalion (Para) in Jammu and Kashmir for 2 weeks and India’s chief selector MSK Prasad also hinted that India are looking ahead with Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson being the two options.
In an event, Dhoni also requested the media not to ask him questions about his comeback until January 2020.
However, speaking at India Today Inspiration, Shastri said Dhoni won’t impose himself on the national team and if he is good enough after the IPL, he could return to the fold.
“That guy is a legend. The last thing he will want is to impose himself on an Indian team, having known him. He is wanting to take a break but he is going to play the IPL. The amount of sport he has played… if he puts himself in contention… if he feels after the IPL that ‘I am good enough to play for India’, don’t mess around with that,” Shastri said.
