Just want to enjoy whatever last few years of cricket I'm able to play: MS Dhoni
New Delhi, Oct 27: Former India and Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni has hinted at a potential return for IPL 2025, saying he wants to enjoy "whatever last few years of cricket" he can play, amid speculation regarding his availability for the upcoming season.
There has been speculation about Dhoni's future since he handed over the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad in the last season and began batting lower in the order.
Franchises must submit their retained player lists by October 31 ahead of the mega auction. Dhoni could be retained by CSK as an uncapped player this year due to the reintroduction of a rule allowing players retired from international cricket for five years to be classified as uncapped.
"I just want to enjoy whatever last few years of cricket I'm able to play," a report in ESPNcricinfo quoted Dhoni as saying on Sunday at a promotional event held in Goa a couple of days ago.
"Like how during our childhood we used to go out and play at 4[pm], just enjoying the game. But when you play professional sport it becomes difficult to enjoy the game just like a game. So what I want to do is, there are emotions and commitments, but I want to enjoy the game for the next few years."
Last week, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan had also said that he is hopeful of Dhoni being part of the upcoming season.
Dhoni, who underwent left knee surgery in 2023, batted lower down the order during the 2024 IPL edition. The former India skipper explained that this decision was primarily to provide game-time to aspiring Indian players ahead of the T20 World Cup.
"My thinking was simple, if others are doing their job well why do I need to come up the order," Dhoni said.
"If you're talking about last year (season) specifically, the T20 World Cup squad was going to be announced soon. So we have to give people who are fighting for a spot a chance.
"In our team (CSK) we had a few, (Ravindra) Jadeja was there, Shivam Dube was there so you give them an opportunity to prove themselves to get into the Indian team. There was nothing in it for me, no selection and other things. So I'm good behind [playing down the order] and my team was happy with what I was doing."
"Love how teams are playing Test cricket now"
Dhoni has praised the result-oriented aggressive approach, often referred to as "Bazball," that teams are adopting in Test cricket these days.
"You can give cricket any term that you want to, what we have seen is cricket has evolved. The way people are playing cricket is very different. There was a time when in ODIs something was considered a safe score, now that score is not safe in T20s too," Dhoni said.
"You give something a term, it becomes much more interesting because you start talking about it, you start relating to it but at the end of the day what is it? It's a way to play cricket."
Having played 90 Tests for India, Dhoni reflected on the challenges of playing on the fifth day when a match appeared headed for a draw.
"For me, the most difficult time during a Test match was the fifth day of a match which is the last day when you knew that 100% it is going to be a draw," he said in the report.
"I would still need to keep for nearly 2.5 sessions and that was the most tiring part. You see there is no result happening, you are just going through the motions. Yes, bowlers would like to take wickets, batters will try to score runs, [but] there is no result in the game.
"You think let's finish this and go, why do I have to be here. So I love the fact there's change in the way teams are playing Test cricket."
Not a fan of draws, Dhoni emphasized the importance of having a result after five days of play.
"Imagine telling someone who doesn't know much cricket we play over five days and we start at 9.30 and 4.30 is the scheduled end of play, we play till 5[pm] sometimes, and after five days we don't get a result. That's not nice for the game. So I love how there's more results in today's world.
"Even if we are playing only four days of cricket and one day gets washed out, still you get a result - that's the beauty of Test cricket and that's how it should stay - you want to get a result after five days and you shouldn't have a draw."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Police raid BRS leader Rama Rao’s kin's farmhouse, party says CM's trap
Hyderabad, Oct 27: Police here raided a farmhouse allegedly owned by BRS working president K T Rama Rao’s brother-in-law and booked one person, who tested positive for cocaine at the party organised there.
A police official said Rao's brother-in-law, Raj Pakala, was absconding following the raid at his farmhouse.
The incident triggered a political row in Telangana with leaders of the ruling Congress demanding a thorough investigation over the matter.
BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Sunday alleged that the Congress government in Telangana is just "pretending" to enforce the law but is actually "protecting the BRS bigwigs".
However, the BRS alleged that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was trying to trap Rama Rao, also known as KTR, in a false case. The party claimed showcasing the residence as a farmhouse reeks of malicious intent.
KTR's brother-in-law Raj Pakala organised the party in his new house for his family members, the BRS said and accused the police and Excise officials of carrying out searches at the house without any warrant and harassing his family members showing them as "participants" of the party.
"Because KTR is exposing Congress government's failures and corruption, the BJP and Congress parties are conspiring against him…Revanth Reddy, Congress and BJP leaders are suffering from KTR syndrome, KTR phobia," the BRS said.
As Revanth Reddy "failed" to deliver on the poll promises he indulged in diversion politics, the BRS further said and alleged that the Telangana chief minister is making personal allegations against KTR out of "jealousy”.
Alleging that there was a match-fixing between Revanth Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, the BRS accused the former of making the latter and other BJP leaders speak against KTR.
The BRS party said it will face the issue legally.
The BRS also denied the allegations that drugs and excessive foreign liquor was found at the house.
In response to the police raid, BRS leader Sravan Dasoju in a release termed it propaganda, labeling a private family gathering as a "rave party" and condemned the "unfounded accusations and politically motivated actions".
"On top of this, attempting to associate KTR with the gathering is nothing but a desperate move to tarnish his image through cheap political theatrics," Sravan said.
Meanwhile, some BRS leaders were taken into preventive custody in Raidurgam here after they protested alleging the police was entering the houses of its leaders "without search warrants".
According to police, following input that a party was going on at the farmhouse in Janwada, with "drugs and liquor unauthorisedly", a team of Cyberabad Police and Excise officials raided the place on the intervening night of October 26 and 27 and found 21 men and 14 women participants.
All the male participants were subjected to drug tests and one person in the gathering tested positive for cocaine and a case under relevant sections of the NDPS Act was registered, a senior police official told PTI.
During the raid, police found foreign liquor beyond the permitted quantity and that no permission was taken for the event.
Pakala hosted the event and since he did not obtain an Excise license, a case was registered against him under relevant sections of the Excise Act by the Excise Task Force besides another case was booked against him under the Telangana Gaming Act, police said.
An Excise official told the media that the party was organised without event permission and foreign liquor was also found.
Seven foreign and 10 Indian liquor bottles were found besides other gaming related items, police said, adding further investigation was on.
BJP leader Sanjay Kumar in a post on 'X' said "The raid at Janwada farmhouse is merely tip of the iceberg. Congress govt should not dilute the case - by giving a predictable statements. It’s becoming obvious that Congress and BRS are playing a “give and take” game, protecting each other’s interests."
