Chennai, March 3: Former India cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni was spotted arriving at Chennai airport ahead of the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings teammate Ambati Rayudu has also arrived in the Tamil Nadu capital city ahead of the training camp.
Dhoni was spotted sporting a white t-shirt with the 'India Cements' logo on it and a face mask as he was seen sporting a smile while making his way out of the airport. CSK's social media handle to welcomed their captain for the new season.
"Thalai-Vaa! Smile with the Mass(k) on! Super Night! #DenComing #WhistlePodu #Yellove," CSK captioned while sharing a photo of the 39-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman on social media.
The Singa Nadai to start off the day with! Thala Coming! #DenComing #WhistlePodu #Yellove 💛🦁 @msdhoni pic.twitter.com/nu6XOmJ8qo
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 4, 2021
As per reports, the CSK skipper is expected to lead a training camp from the 2nd week of March. The BCCI, however, is yet to confirm the schedule and venue for IPL 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CSK team management is looking to begin the preparations for the new season to help Dhoni and some other domestic players get in the grooves.
First #Dencoming of the summer from across the border is Manavaadu Bahubali!!! #Yellove #WhistlePodu 💛🦁 @RayuduAmbati pic.twitter.com/wPf039kYJ7
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 3, 2021
Dhoni - who announced his retirement from international cricket in August last year - will be seen in action in competitive cricket with the IPL 14.
The BCCI mulling to host the fourteenth edition of the IPL, which is scheduled to be held between April and June, in six cities. The refurbished Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad is most likely to host the play-offs and the final, while the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata have been shortlisted to host the league games.
Initially, the board had planned to host the league matches of the entire tournament on two venues, possibly Mumbai and Pune. The franchises are apparently unhappy with the new idea of hosting the tournament across six venues for that will also increase their headache of keeping players safe across venues. The IPL 2020, which was hosted in the UAE due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country, was held across three venues.