With the first of three T20Is between India and New Zealand to be played in Ranchi, former India World Cup winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni paid the Hardik Pandya-led host side a special visit at the JSCA stadium.
In a recent video uploaded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on their social media handles, Dhoni, sipping coconut water, is seen having a conversation with Pandya and co. in the team dressing room during one of their pre-match training sessions.
Look who came visiting at training today in Ranchi – the great @msdhoni! 😊#TeamIndia | #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/antqqYisOh
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 26, 2023
Apart from players, the 41-year-old also met the team staff including the India fielding coach T Dilip.
Earlier on Thursday, India’s T20 captain Hardik Pandya had posted a photo alongside the Chennai Super Kings captain at his residence in the Jharkhand capital. “Sholay 2 coming soon,” read the caption alongwith a winking emoji and a photo of the duo posing while sitting on one of Dhoni’s vintage bikes.
Coming into the T20I series on the back of a 3-0 whitewash of the Black Caps in the ODIs, India will play the first T20I against the visitors on Friday.
Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in August 2020, was recently spotted taking to the nets ahead of the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League. Continuing to feature in the league after his international retirement, Dhoni led CSK to a fourth IPL title in 2021.