MS Dhoni could play for Jharkhand in Vijay Hazare Trophy

With the ODI series against the Windies still two weeks away, MS Dhoni could return to List A cricket and play for his state side Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. After being part of the Indian team which lifted the Asia Cup for the seventh time, Dhoni has had some time off from cricket while the national team prepared for and played against the Windies in a Test series.

However, Dhoni will need to be at his best for the limited-overs series against the Windies, and also keep himself prepared for the upcoming tour of Australia. The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman could, therefore, play for Jharkhand in the 50-overs tournament. He has been struggling with the bat of late and would want to use this as the platform to get back his touch ahead of the international assignment.

Jharkhand at the top of Elite Group C

Jharkhand, who are currently on top of Elite Group C, will play their last group game against Services on October 11 before getting into the knockout stages which get underway on October 14 – just a week before the start of the Windies ODI series. Jharkhand have a four-point lead over second-placed Haryana, and are all but assured of a spot in the quarter-final. If they win against Services, they will not only qualify for the knockout stages but will also finish at the top of their group.

After the Asia Cup final on September 28, Dhoni decided to not play in the group stage for Jharkhand and has missed three games since. According to reports in the Mumbai Mirror, he is expected to give the game against Services a miss but is likely to feature in the knockout stages.

Jharkhand Cricket Association secretary Debasish Chakraborty said, “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.”

Dhoni has only played 15 ODIs and 7 T20Is this year and also struggled to score runs in the Asia Cup.

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