MS Dhoni Not To Turn Up For Jharkhand In The Ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy

MS Dhoni will not play for Jharkhand in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy despite going through a lean patch with the bat. Dhoni has rarely been seen in action for Jharkhand since making his India in 2004. The reason was obviously the busy international schedule and fatigue.

However, even after retiring from Tests, the veteran batsman is not showing keen interest in plying his trade for his state. He had featured in all the six games of Vijay Hazare Trophy last year but has decided to not turn up this year.

“Dhoni has been training with the team since September and has been involved in all aspects of the game. He has been playing the role of mentor. It hardly matters if a player of his stature takes part in the Vijay Hazare Trophy,” Jharkhand Cricket Association secretary Debasish Chakraborty told Mirror.

There are, however, indications though that he might play the knock-out stage of the tournament from October 14. Right now Jharkhand are on top of Group C and will play their last group game on October 11 against Services. Jharkhand are likely to make it to the next stage.

They will top the group if they win. They can still finish in the top two if they lose. Jharkhand will be ousted only if Services beat them in addition to winning their second match against Rajasthan, and Haryana beat Tamil Nadu.

Playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy could help Dhoni regain his form. This year Dhoni has aggregated just 189 runs in 9 ODI innings at a paltry average of 27 with a highest score of just 42.

Things have not looked good for Dhoni since his stunning show in the IPL where he led Chennai Super Kings to the title.

The World Cup-winning skipper has been attracting severe criticism for his poor batting since the tour of England. While the right-handed batsman managed to score handy runs, he coped criticism for his defensive approach.

In the second ODI, he scored 37 off 59 balls as India were all out for just 236 while chasing 323. He struggled in the third ODI too. Dhoni managed to score 42 but used up 66 deliveries for the same. He failed to find his form in the Asia Cup too.

The 37-year old is likely to be seen in action when India take on West Indies in the ODIs later this month.