MS Dhoni takes part in a tennis tournament in Ranchi

Former India captain MS Dhoni is enjoying his break before the next international assignment which is only in January. The 37-year-old ace wicketkeeper-batsman who plays only the 50-overs format now is expected to don the India jersey for the next ICC World Cup in England in May-July next year and it could be a grand farewell for the cricketer who has led India to win two world titles. At the moment, however, Dhoni is busy playing a tennis tournament in hometown Ranchi.

The cricketer on Wednesday took part in the doubles category of a tennis tournament which is currently underway at the JHC Cricket Club in Ranchi. The tournament kicked off on Monday and will continue till November 30 and has various categories, including singles (both for men and women) and Under-16, says a report in Prabhat Khabar.

Dhoni has more free time off international cricket now

Dhoni, who completed 10,000 runs in the ODIs earlier this year, often tries a hand at other sports like football, badminton and kabaddi, giving a fair impression that the man is an overall sports enthusiast. The cricketer was recently dropped from India’s T20I squads (for the Windies series at home and Australia series Down Under) owing to his age and it has given him more free time to spend time with family and other activities. Dhoni has been replaced by Rishabh Pant in the T20Is though the latter failed to fulfil the expectations in the series against Australia.

Dhoni though has been as effective as he was earlier with the glovework, his batting form has slumped of late, earning him criticism. The man has failed to score a single fifty in the ODIs this year and his average has only been better than 2004, his first year in international cricket when he played just three games. Former cricketer VVS Laxman recently said that Dhoni, his batting form notwithstanding, will still plat a big role in the World Cup and hoped to see him bat the way he did in the Indian Premier League last season.

Here is the video of Dhoni playing tennis:

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