MS Dhoni Will Not Come Out Of Retirement To Play In The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Former India captain, MS Dhoni will not be playing for Jharkhand in the forthcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2021. SMAT the premier T20 domestic season in India which will commence on 10th January as title defenders Karnataka will take on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) with the final slated for 31st January.

The group matches will are scheduled in 6 different cities –   Bangalore, Kolkata, Vadodara, Indore, Mumbai, and Chennai – adhering to the bio-bubble protocols. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then the final will be played at the newly built 110,000-seater Motera stadium in Ahmedabad.

MS Dhoni will continue to play in the IPL

It is reported that MS Dhoni will not play in the domestic T20 tournament, while his former India teammate, Suresh Raina has confirmed his participation in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for his state Uttar Pradesh. Raina has been posting videos and photos on social media of his training as he gears up for the tournament.

Dhoni retired from international cricket on 15th August which was followed by Raina’s retirement. The Chennai Super Kings skipper led the franchise in the IPL 2020. However, along with his team, his own batting form was disheartening as CSK finished 7th on the points table- failing to reach the top 4 for the first time in IPL history.

With his ‘definitely not’ in CSK’s last league match, the 39-year-old ended all speculations around his future confirming that he will play for the men in yellow in the 2021 edition of the IPL as well.

Looking at Dhoni’s form with the bat, several experts suggested that the CSK skipper should play some domestic matches to remain in rhythm ahead of the 14th edition of the IPL. While Raina, who pulled out of IPL 2020 due to ‘personal reasons’ will play in the SMAT, however, the Ranchi-lad has decided to skip the tournament.

Also Read: Watch: Dean Jones’ Family And Cricket Australia Pay Him Touching Tribute During MCG Test