MS Dhoni spotted at Mumbai airport amidst his stint with the Indian Army

MS Dhoni didn’t have the best of World Cup campaigns as he couldn’t live up to expectations with the bat in hand. Thereafter, reports of his retirement did the rounds with Keshav Banerjee, his childhood coach, also having an opinion on Dhoni’s time of hanging his boots. Dhoni has now made himself unavailable for the tour of the West Indies, which starts on August 3.

The 38-year-old told the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he wouldn’t be available for a couple of months in order to train with the Indian Army’s Parachute Regiment. Several reports have already stated that Dhoni has joined the battalion on July 24. However, he has now been spotted at the Mumbai Airport with a bag on his shoulders as per reports in Deccan Chronicle.

The same raises questions over Dhoni’s upcoming plans after taking a break from cricket. On Thursday, July 25, the Indian Army stated: “Lieutenant Colonel (Honorary) MS Dhoni is proceeding to 106 TA Battalion (Para) for being with the Battalion from 31 Jul-15 Aug 19.”

A massive task ahead of MS Dhoni

It was learned that he will be with the unit at Kashmir valley. “As requested by the officer and approved by Army Headquarters; he will be taking on the duties of patrolling, guard and post duty and would be staying with troops,” the statement mentioned.

Recently, Bipin Rawat, the Indian Army chief, said that Dhoni doesn’t need protection since he is equipped enough to perform his role with precision. The chief also said that the Jharkhand-born Dhoni has carried out his basic training and he’s confident that the legend will be able to accomplish the task.

Dhoni is the Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army unit of the Parachute Regiment (106 Para TA battalion). The title was given to Dhoni, Abhinav Bindra and Deepak Rao by the Indian Army back in 2011. Back in 2015, he qualified as a paratrooper after completing five parachute jumps.

Regarding his cricket career, he will now be a part of the transition process and won’t be India’s first-choice keeper going forward. The 21-year-old Rishabh Pant will be preferred, but the team management has asked Dhoni to not retire until Pant gets trained before the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia.