South African speedster Lungi Ngidi has revealed how he was left in awe of MS Dhoni after joining Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. The Proteas bowler has further revealed how he was taken aback by Dhoni's aura, which gave him goosebumps while adding he is eager to play under 'Captain Cool’ again in IPL 2021, starting from April 9.&nbsp;

"When I first arrived at Chennai, you'd walk out and you'd hear the crowd chant his name, you would get goosebumps and they're not even talking about you. He is massive for cricket, massive for Chennai. Like everyone says, Captain Cool," Ngidi told&nbsp;ESPNCricinfo.&nbsp;

Ngidi scalped 11 wickets from seven matches in 2018 before opting out of the next edition due to injury. In IPL 2020, Ngidi played four matches but picked up nine wickets.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-england-favourites-to-win-t20-world-cup-but-dont-rule-out-india-ryan-sidebottom-370657" hreflang="en">Exclusive: England favourites to win T20 World Cup but don't rule out India - Ryan Sidebottom</a>

The South African quick bowler hailed Dhoni for the way he carries himself while also lauding his nature of keeping his emotions in check.&nbsp;

"He's been very consistent; that's the one thing I was amazed at the most… his consistency and how he carries himself, behaves as a captain. For me, that was one of the most amazing things. Never showing too much emotion but when you'd need to get a bit of a pick-up talk from the captain, he'd give it to you. Very amazing man and very happy to be playing under him," Ngidi added.&nbsp;

CSK added the likes of Moeen Ali,&nbsp;Krishnappa Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, M Harisankar Reddy, K Bhagath Varma and C Hari Nishanth&nbsp;to their squad in the IPL 2021 auction and Ngidi is looking forward to playing with them in the tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/record-breaking-virat-kohli-achieves-iconic-milestone-in-t20i-cricket-370598" hreflang="en">Record-breaking Virat Kohli achieves iconic milestone in T20I cricket</a>

"The combination is going to be interesting to see. Who plays, who misses out but the coaching staff and the captain get along very well and they've always got plans to fix things. So, I'm really excited to see how the guys are going to get it this year," the fast bowler said.&nbsp;

South African speedster Lungi Ngidi has revealed how he was left in awe of MS Dhoni after joining Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018.

South African speedster Lungi Ngidi has revealed how he was left in awe of MS Dhoni after joining Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. The Proteas bowler has further revealed how he was taken aback by Dhoni's aura, which gave him goosebumps while adding he is eager to play under 'Captain Cool’ again in IPL 2021, starting from April 9. "When I first arrived at Chennai, you'd walk out and you'd hear the crowd chant his name, you would get goosebumps and they're not even talking about you. He is massive for cricket, massive for Chennai. Like everyone says, Captain Cool," Ngidi told ESPNCricinfo. Ngidi scalped 11 wickets from seven matches in 2018 before opting out of the next edition due to injury. In IPL 2020, Ngidi played four matches but picked up nine wickets. ALSO READ: Exclusive: England favourites to win T20 World Cup but don't rule out India - Ryan Sidebottom The South African quick bowler hailed Dhoni for the way he carries himself while also lauding his nature of keeping his emotions in check. "He's been very consistent; that's the one thing I was amazed at the most… his consistency and how he carries himself, behaves as a captain. For me, that was one of the most amazing things. Never showing too much emotion but when you'd need to get a bit of a pick-up talk from the captain, he'd give it to you. Very amazing man and very happy to be playing under him," Ngidi added. CSK added the likes of Moeen Ali, Krishnappa Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, M Harisankar Reddy, K Bhagath Varma and C Hari Nishanth to their squad in the IPL 2021 auction and Ngidi is looking forward to playing with them in the tournament. ALSO READ: Record-breaking Virat Kohli achieves iconic milestone in T20I cricket "The combination is going to be interesting to see. Who plays, who misses out but the coaching staff and the captain get along very well and they've always got plans to fix things. So, I'm really excited to see how the guys are going to get it this year," the fast bowler said.

'When I first arrived at Chennai...': CSK's Lungi Ngidi reveals how MS Dhoni gave him 'goosebumps'

BCCI &nbsp;president Sourav Ganguly feels that Rishabh Pant possesses traits similar to Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, and MS Dhoni and hailed him as the "game-changer".&nbsp;

IN PICS:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ind-vs-eng-rishabh-pants-magnificent-century-against-jimmy-anderson-and-co-368226" hreflang="en">IND vs ENG: Rishabh Pant's magnificent century against Jimmy Anderson and Co.</a>

Ganguly, who was a part of the Delhi Capitals' coaching staff in 2019, has worked closely with the young southpaw. Former Indian skipper explained how Pant's batting skills are on an upward curve since the Tour to Australia.&nbsp;

"I have seen Pant very closely and I believe in match-winners. When they get going on their day, they single-handedly can win matches. Rishabh Pant is such a player," Ganguly told India Today. "I have also said this in the past, had he stayed at the crease for 5 or 6 overs, India could have won the Sydney Test. He is a game-changer. I like match-winners. In my time, we had Sehwag, Yuvraj, Dhoni."

Rishabh Pant had a tough 2020 as he was dropped from the limited-overs format and was substituted for Wriddhiman Saha in the Indian Test squad due to a string of poor performances on the ground. However, after a disappointing loss against Australia in Adelaide after Virat and Co. were bowled out for record low 36, Pant was played in the XI for the Boxing Day Test match where the young wicketkeeper left his mark.&nbsp;

IN PICS:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/india-vs-england-4th-test-virat-and-co-crush-england-to-book-a-berth-in-world-test-championship-finals-368450" hreflang="en">India vs England, 4th Test: Virat and Co. crush visitors to book a berth in World Test Championship finals</a>

During the third Test at the SCG, Pant almost won the game for India after producing a solid knock of 97 runs while chasing a mammoth total of 407 runs.&nbsp;

And the young wicketkeeper's 89 runs in the fourth Test at Gabba helped India breach the Australian fortress as Rahane and Co. sealed the series.&nbsp;

Pant's sublime form continued during the England Test as he scored 91 runs in the first match even though Team India lost. However, Pant's best knock came in the fourth Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium as the southpaw smashed a ton and helped India take a significant lead despite a poor start.&nbsp;

"Look at the way he played against England. India were 146 for 6 (4th Test in Ahmedabad). The match could have gone anyway. He turned it around with his knock. Look at his game sense. The second new ball came in. His counterattack against Anderson was brilliant," Ganguly added.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly feels that Rishabh Pant possesses traits similar to Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, and MS Dhoni and hailed him as the "game-changer".

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly feels that Rishabh Pant possesses traits similar to Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, and MS Dhoni and hailed him as the "game-changer". IN PICS: IND vs ENG: Rishabh Pant's magnificent century against Jimmy Anderson and Co. Ganguly, who was a part of the Delhi Capitals' coaching staff in 2019, has worked closely with the young southpaw. Former Indian skipper explained how Pant's batting skills are on an upward curve since the Tour to Australia. "I have seen Pant very closely and I believe in match-winners. When they get going on their day, they single-handedly can win matches. Rishabh Pant is such a player," Ganguly told India Today. "I have also said this in the past, had he stayed at the crease for 5 or 6 overs, India could have won the Sydney Test. He is a game-changer. I like match-winners. In my time, we had Sehwag, Yuvraj, Dhoni." Rishabh Pant had a tough 2020 as he was dropped from the limited-overs format and was substituted for Wriddhiman Saha in the Indian Test squad due to a string of poor performances on the ground. However, after a disappointing loss against Australia in Adelaide after Virat and Co. were bowled out for record low 36, Pant was played in the XI for the Boxing Day Test match where the young wicketkeeper left his mark. IN PICS: India vs England, 4th Test: Virat and Co. crush visitors to book a berth in World Test Championship finals During the third Test at the SCG, Pant almost won the game for India after producing a solid knock of 97 runs while chasing a mammoth total of 407 runs. And the young wicketkeeper's 89 runs in the fourth Test at Gabba helped India breach the Australian fortress as Rahane and Co. sealed the series. Pant's sublime form continued during the England Test as he scored 91 runs in the first match even though Team India lost. However, Pant's best knock came in the fourth Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium as the southpaw smashed a ton and helped India take a significant lead despite a poor start. "Look at the way he played against England. India were 146 for 6 (4th Test in Ahmedabad). The match could have gone anyway. He turned it around with his knock. Look at his game sense. The second new ball came in. His counterattack against Anderson was brilliant," Ganguly added.

Sourav Ganguly hails Rishabh Pant as 'game-changer' like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh

The schedule and fixture list of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was released on Sunday. Spread over six cities, IPL 2021 is set to commence from April 9. However, no franchise will have home advantage this term with matches to be held&nbsp;in neutral venues only. The schedule of IPL 2021 and the introduction of neutral venue have left a few franchises unhappy with some of them raising question on why they are being barred from playing in their home venues.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata&nbsp;will host&nbsp;IPL 2021 matches. The reason behind keeping neutral venues was to ensure parity on the field for every franchise while also ensuring no one gets added advantage of brand activation.&nbsp;

It was reported that three franchises were discontent when&nbsp;their&nbsp;venues weren't considered for IPL 2021 and according to a report in&nbsp;Cricbuzz, by addressing the concerns of three teams, who had earlier opposed the six-venue proposal,&nbsp;five other franchises could be less than satisfied with the final&nbsp;schedule.&nbsp;

"You are denying MS Dhoni to play his potential last IPL in Chennai. If there are to be no crowds, what stops CSK to play in Chennai and Mumbai Indians to play in Mumbai," asks one of the franchise officials&nbsp;as quoted by&nbsp;Cricbuzz.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-schedule-team-wise-full-fixture-list-date-time-and-venues-368637" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues</a>

"Delhi have players like Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Shreyas Iyer who are from Mumbai and the team plays its first three games at the Wankhede. They will have advantage just as Punjab Kings who have players like KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, and coach Anil Kumble, and they play five games in Bangalore? Don't they have the advantage of being familiar with the conditions at the&nbsp;Chinnaswamy&nbsp;Stadium? The plan can be counter-productive."&nbsp;

The other&nbsp;concerns&nbsp;raised over the schedule have been on safety standards and logistical hazards. A team will have to fly out at least four times and according to some franchises, that could expose those participating&nbsp;to outsiders.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/its-banter-ravi-shastri-reacts-to-viral-memes-around-him-on-social-media-368581" hreflang="en">It's banter!: Ravi Shastri reacts to viral memes around him on social media</a>

"Those inside the team bubble are not allowed to meet the owners of their franchise and here by having to fly four times, change hotels and buses, the players will get exposed to outsiders," cautioned a franchise official, adding, "No doubt, we will engage charter flights and private airports but there will always be questions over the sanctity of the bio bubbles."&nbsp;

The report adds that the reason for&nbsp;finalising&nbsp;six venues was to spread out the risk factor amid the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

"It is a safer approach. What if the pandemic situation worsens in Maharashtra? Where do we go then? If now the situation worsens in Mumbai, or any of the other cities, we're prepared to host the tournament elsewhere," says one of those involved with the scheduling of the tournament.&nbsp;

The schedule and fixture list of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was released on Sunday. Spread over six cities, IPL 2021 is set to commence from April 9.

The schedule and fixture list of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was released on Sunday. Spread over six cities, IPL 2021 is set to commence from April 9. However, no franchise will have home advantage this term with matches to be held in neutral venues only. The schedule of IPL 2021 and the introduction of neutral venue have left a few franchises unhappy with some of them raising question on why they are being barred from playing in their home venues. The cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata will host IPL 2021 matches. The reason behind keeping neutral venues was to ensure parity on the field for every franchise while also ensuring no one gets added advantage of brand activation. It was reported that three franchises were discontent when their venues weren't considered for IPL 2021 and according to a report in Cricbuzz, by addressing the concerns of three teams, who had earlier opposed the six-venue proposal, five other franchises could be less than satisfied with the final schedule. "You are denying MS Dhoni to play his potential last IPL in Chennai. If there are to be no crowds, what stops CSK to play in Chennai and Mumbai Indians to play in Mumbai," asks one of the franchise officials as quoted by Cricbuzz. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues "Delhi have players like Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Shreyas Iyer who are from Mumbai and the team plays its first three games at the Wankhede. They will have advantage just as Punjab Kings who have players like KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, and coach Anil Kumble, and they play five games in Bangalore? Don't they have the advantage of being familiar with the conditions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium? The plan can be counter-productive." The other concerns raised over the schedule have been on safety standards and logistical hazards. A team will have to fly out at least four times and according to some franchises, that could expose those participating to outsiders. ALSO READ: It's banter!: Ravi Shastri reacts to viral memes around him on social media "Those inside the team bubble are not allowed to meet the owners of their franchise and here by having to fly four times, change hotels and buses, the players will get exposed to outsiders," cautioned a franchise official, adding, "No doubt, we will engage charter flights and private airports but there will always be questions over the sanctity of the bio bubbles." The report adds that the reason for finalising six venues was to spread out the risk factor amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "It is a safer approach. What if the pandemic situation worsens in Maharashtra? Where do we go then? If now the situation worsens in Mumbai, or any of the other cities, we're prepared to host the tournament elsewhere," says one of those involved with the scheduling of the tournament.

Denying MS Dhoni to play his potential last IPL in Chennai: Franchises left unhappy over scheduling

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and former BCCI president Sharad Pawar on Sunday revealed how&nbsp;Sachin&nbsp;Tendulkar's suggestion led to Mahendra Singh Dhoni become the captain of the Indian cricket team.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While addressing a public meeting, Pawar revealed how Rahul Dravid wanted to quit captaincy in 2007 but for that, a new candidate was needed. Pawar asked Tendulkar to take the charge from Dravid but the Master Blaster refused before suggesting MS Dhoni's name for captaincy.&nbsp;Pawar served as the BCCI president for a period of three years from 2005 to 2008.&nbsp;

"I remember India had gone to England in 2007. At that time, Rahul Dravid was the captain. I was there in England then and Dravid came to meet me. He told me how he no longer wanted to lead India. He told me how the captaincy was affecting his batting. He told me that he should be relieved from the captaincy. I then asked&nbsp;Sachin&nbsp;Tendulkar to lead the side, but he refused the role," said Pawar during a public meeting.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-schedule-team-wise-full-fixture-list-date-time-and-venues-368637" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues</a>

"I told&nbsp;Sachin&nbsp;that if both of you and Dravid do not want to lead the side, how will we go about things? Then&nbsp;Sachin&nbsp;told me that we have one more player in the country who could lead the side and his name is none other than MS Dhoni. After that, we gave the leadership to Dhoni," he added.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Under Dravid's captaincy in 2007, India&nbsp;were&nbsp;knocked out from the World Cup in the group stage. In the same year, Dhoni was named the captain of India's T20 side that went on to lift the T20 World Cup. Dhoni went on to lead the country in both ODIs and Tests, winning all the major ICC Trophies&nbsp;and becoming the only captain to date to have won all ICC trophies.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/its-banter-ravi-shastri-reacts-to-viral-memes-around-him-on-social-media-368581" hreflang="en">It's banter!: Ravi Shastri reacts to viral memes around him on social media</a>

In 2014, Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket after playing 90 Test matches. In 2020, Dhoni called it quits from international cricket marking an end to a trophy-laden 16-year-long career. He continues to play in the IPL.&nbsp;

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and former BCCI president Sharad Pawar on Sunday revealed how Sachin Tendulkar's suggestion led to Mahendra Singh Dhoni become the captain of the Indian cricket team.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and former BCCI president Sharad Pawar on Sunday revealed how Sachin Tendulkar's suggestion led to Mahendra Singh Dhoni become the captain of the Indian cricket team. While addressing a public meeting, Pawar revealed how Rahul Dravid wanted to quit captaincy in 2007 but for that, a new candidate was needed. Pawar asked Tendulkar to take the charge from Dravid but the Master Blaster refused before suggesting MS Dhoni's name for captaincy. Pawar served as the BCCI president for a period of three years from 2005 to 2008. "I remember India had gone to England in 2007. At that time, Rahul Dravid was the captain. I was there in England then and Dravid came to meet me. He told me how he no longer wanted to lead India. He told me how the captaincy was affecting his batting. He told me that he should be relieved from the captaincy. I then asked Sachin Tendulkar to lead the side, but he refused the role," said Pawar during a public meeting. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues "I told Sachin that if both of you and Dravid do not want to lead the side, how will we go about things? Then Sachin told me that we have one more player in the country who could lead the side and his name is none other than MS Dhoni. After that, we gave the leadership to Dhoni," he added. Under Dravid's captaincy in 2007, India were knocked out from the World Cup in the group stage. In the same year, Dhoni was named the captain of India's T20 side that went on to lift the T20 World Cup. Dhoni went on to lead the country in both ODIs and Tests, winning all the major ICC Trophies and becoming the only captain to date to have won all ICC trophies. ALSO READ: It's banter!: Ravi Shastri reacts to viral memes around him on social media In 2014, Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket after playing 90 Test matches. In 2020, Dhoni called it quits from international cricket marking an end to a trophy-laden 16-year-long career. He continues to play in the IPL.

Ex-BCCI president reveals how Sachin Tendulkar suggested MS Dhoni's name to lead Team India

Indian skipper Virat Kohli was out on a duck in the fourth Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium after nicking the ball off Stokes' delivery and giving an easy catch to Ben Foakes.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/its-frustrating-ben-stokes-on-englands-performance-with-bat-defends-team-selection-368024" hreflang="en">'It’s frustrating': Ben Stokes on England's performance with bat; defends team selection</a>

This was Kohli's 2nd duck in the series and 8th overall as an Indian Test Captain. By doing so, he has equalled MS Dhoni's unwanted record of most dismissals for a duck by an Indian captain.

This is also for the first time since 2014 (Pataudi Trophy vs England) that Kohli has been dismissed twice on duck in the series. The first duck came in the second Test after Moeen Ali's ripper left the Indian captain stunned.&nbsp;

Kohli's duck off Stokes' delivery was his 12th in Test career and fifth coming against England. Stokes also joined Pat Cummins, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad and James Anderson to dismiss Kohli on 5 instances.

India are currently 2-1 up in the series and they need to secure atleast a draw to book a WTC finals spot against New Zealand.&nbsp;

Indian skipper Virat Kohli was out on a duck in the fourth Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium after nicking the ball off Stokes' delivery and giving an easy catch to Ben Foakes.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli was out on a duck in the fourth Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium after nicking the ball off Stokes' delivery and giving an easy catch to Ben Foakes. ALSO READ: 'It’s frustrating': Ben Stokes on England's performance with bat; defends team selection This was Kohli's 2nd duck in the series and 8th overall as an Indian Test Captain. By doing so, he has equalled MS Dhoni's unwanted record of most dismissals for a duck by an Indian captain. This is also for the first time since 2014 (Pataudi Trophy vs England) that Kohli has been dismissed twice on duck in the series. The first duck came in the second Test after Moeen Ali's ripper left the Indian captain stunned. Kohli's duck off Stokes' delivery was his 12th in Test career and fifth coming against England. Stokes also joined Pat Cummins, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad and James Anderson to dismiss Kohli on 5 instances. India are currently 2-1 up in the series and they need to secure atleast a draw to book a WTC finals spot against New Zealand.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli equals MS Dhoni's unpopular record after getting out on duck

Indian captain Virat Kohli will be looking to end the unusual century drought and surpass former Australia captain Ricky Ponting to create a world record when he steps out to bat in the upcoming fourth Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashwin-root-and-mayers-in-contention-for-icc-player-of-the-month-for-february-367383" hreflang="en">Ashwin, Root and Mayers in contention for ICC Player of the Month for February</a>

The prolific India batsman has not scored a century since November 2019, where he smashed a ton against Bangladesh in a Day/Night Test at the Motera Stadium. Despite scoring two half-centuries in the series, Kohli has failed to convert them into hundreds yet.&nbsp;

If Virat scores a century at Motera, the 32-year-old will overtake former Aussie legend Ricky Ponting in the list of captains with most international hundreds. Both batting stalwarts are tied at the top position in the list with 41 centuries to their name.

However, along with this, Virat is also set to equal MS Dhoni's record most matches as captain of the Indian team in Tests when he takes on the visitors on fourth and final Test match.&nbsp;

The batting great is also 17 runs away from 12,000 international runs as captain, a feat achieved only by Australia's Ricky Ponting and South Africa's Graeme Smith before him. As a skipper, Australia's Ponting scored 15,440 runs, whereas Graeme Smith got 14,878 runs.&nbsp;

Another record that skipper Kohli will equal if Team India goes on to win the match is of Clive Lloyd, who led West Indies to 36 Test wins. He would go joint-fourth on the list of Test captains with the most wins if he leads India to victory in the fourth Test.

Indian captain Virat Kohli will be looking to end the unusual century drought and surpass former Australia captain Ricky Ponting to create a world record when he steps out to bat in the upcoming fourth Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Indian captain Virat Kohli will be looking to end the unusual century drought and surpass former Australia captain Ricky Ponting to create a world record when he steps out to bat in the upcoming fourth Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. ALSO READ: Ashwin, Root and Mayers in contention for ICC Player of the Month for February The prolific India batsman has not scored a century since November 2019, where he smashed a ton against Bangladesh in a Day/Night Test at the Motera Stadium. Despite scoring two half-centuries in the series, Kohli has failed to convert them into hundreds yet. If Virat scores a century at Motera, the 32-year-old will overtake former Aussie legend Ricky Ponting in the list of captains with most international hundreds. Both batting stalwarts are tied at the top position in the list with 41 centuries to their name. However, along with this, Virat is also set to equal MS Dhoni's record most matches as captain of the Indian team in Tests when he takes on the visitors on fourth and final Test match. The batting great is also 17 runs away from 12,000 international runs as captain, a feat achieved only by Australia's Ricky Ponting and South Africa's Graeme Smith before him. As a skipper, Australia's Ponting scored 15,440 runs, whereas Graeme Smith got 14,878 runs. Another record that skipper Kohli will equal if Team India goes on to win the match is of Clive Lloyd, who led West Indies to 36 Test wins. He would go joint-fourth on the list of Test captains with the most wins if he leads India to victory in the fourth Test.

From MS Dhoni to Clive Lloyd: Records that Virat Kohli could achieve in the fourth Test

Indian captain Virat Kohli will be looking to end the unusual century drought and surpass former Australia captain Ricky Ponting and creating a world record when he steps out to bat in the upcoming third Test against England at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;

IN PICS:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/olympic-size-swimming-pool-dressing-room-with-gyms-11-centre-pitches-complete-guide-to-worlds-largest-cricket-stadium-in-ahmedabad-365397" hreflang="en">Olympic size swimming pool, dressing room with gyms, 11 centre pitches: Complete guide to world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad</a>

The prolific India batsman has not scored a century since November 2019, where he smashed a ton against Bangladesh in a Day/Night Test at the Motera Stadium. Despite scoring two half-centuries in the series, Kohli has failed to convert them into hundreds yet.&nbsp;

If Virat scores a century at Motera, the 32-year-old will overtake former Aussie legend Ricky Ponting in the list of captains with most international hundreds. Both batting stalwarts are tied at the top position in the list with 41 centuries to their name.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-james-anderson-gives-his-verdict-on-motera-stadiums-pitch-ahead-of-pink-ball-test-365455" hreflang="en">IND vs ENG: James Anderson gives his verdict on Motera Stadium's pitch ahead of pink-ball Test</a>

Kohli could surpass another major record if his team manages to win the Test match at Motera as he is currently tied with MS Dhoni in the record of India captain with most Test wins at home. He equalled Captain Cool's achievement after the massive win at Chepauk.&nbsp;

The win in the third Test against England at the Motera Stadium will be Kohli's 22nd Test win as captain at home, and he would surpass Dhoni to claim the top spot in the list.

Other Indian captains in the list following the duo are Mohammad Azharuddin (13 wins), Sourav Ganguly (10 wins), and Sunil Gavaskar (7 wins).

The four-match series is levelled at 1-1 with two matches remaining. The Day/Night Test match will begin on February 24 at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;

Indian captain Virat Kohli will be looking to end the unusual century drought and surpass former Australia captain Ricky Ponting and creating a world record when he steps out to bat in the upcoming third Test against England at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Indian captain Virat Kohli will be looking to end the unusual century drought and surpass former Australia captain Ricky Ponting and creating a world record when he steps out to bat in the upcoming third Test against England at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad. IN PICS: Olympic size swimming pool, dressing room with gyms, 11 centre pitches: Complete guide to world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad The prolific India batsman has not scored a century since November 2019, where he smashed a ton against Bangladesh in a Day/Night Test at the Motera Stadium. Despite scoring two half-centuries in the series, Kohli has failed to convert them into hundreds yet. If Virat scores a century at Motera, the 32-year-old will overtake former Aussie legend Ricky Ponting in the list of captains with most international hundreds. Both batting stalwarts are tied at the top position in the list with 41 centuries to their name. ALSO READ: IND vs ENG: James Anderson gives his verdict on Motera Stadium's pitch ahead of pink-ball Test Kohli could surpass another major record if his team manages to win the Test match at Motera as he is currently tied with MS Dhoni in the record of India captain with most Test wins at home. He equalled Captain Cool's achievement after the massive win at Chepauk. The win in the third Test against England at the Motera Stadium will be Kohli's 22nd Test win as captain at home, and he would surpass Dhoni to claim the top spot in the list. Other Indian captains in the list following the duo are Mohammad Azharuddin (13 wins), Sourav Ganguly (10 wins), and Sunil Gavaskar (7 wins). The four-match series is levelled at 1-1 with two matches remaining. The Day/Night Test match will begin on February 24 at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Indian captain Virat Kohli eyes couple of huge records at third Test against England

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was all set to play in the T20 World Cup for India in the year 2020 had the marquee event not been postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic, former Team India selector Sarandeep Singh has said.&nbsp;With cricket, like other sports, coming&nbsp;to a screeching halt due to the pandemic, all the series and major events were either cancelled or postponed. Dhoni went on to announce his international retirement on August 15, 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dhoni last played for India in the semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2019 versus New Zealand and then opted for a sabbatical from the game.&nbsp;Sarandeep has now said that Dhoni was one of the fittest players in the Indian dressing room while revealing the former India skipper was in contention to play the T20 World Cup which could have been his last major tournament for India.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cant-wait-to-share-dressing-room-with-the-likes-of-kohli-says-rahul-tewatia-365097" hreflang="en">Can't wait to share dressing room with the likes of Kohli, says Rahul Tewatia</a>

“Definitely, he would have played (had COVID-19 not interrupted). We were also thinking that he should have definitely played the World T20. He was fit. There was no reason for him to not play. We always see the fitness of the players first to see how long they can play. And Mahi was the fittest. He never took a break from practice. Even in optional practice, Mahi was there. And you see it never happened that he missed a game because of injury. That’s why he got so much respect from everyone,” Sarandeep, former India selector,&nbsp;told&nbsp;Sportskeeda.&nbsp;

The former India selector went on to add that all the members of the selection committee thought that Dhoni deserved to play the T20 World Cup for what he has achieved for the Men in Blue.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/will-take-a-call-on-county-stint-after-ipl-says-csks-latest-recruit-cheteshwar-pujara-365075" hreflang="en">Will take a call on county stint after IPL, says CSK's latest recruit Cheteshwar Pujara</a>

“We always felt that a player who played so much for India and won so many trophies – there’s not a single trophy he hasn’t won – deserved that chance. It was my personal opinion and opinion of everyone in the selection committee that MS Dhoni should have played the World T20,” said Sarandeep.&nbsp;

Dhoni continues to be a part of the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings and will be seen in the 14 edition of the cash-rich tournament.&nbsp;

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was all set to play in the T20 World Cup for India in the year 2020 had the marquee event not been postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic, former Team India selector Sarandeep Singh has said.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was all set to play in the T20 World Cup for India in the year 2020 had the marquee event not been postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic, former Team India selector Sarandeep Singh has said. With cricket, like other sports, coming to a screeching halt due to the pandemic, all the series and major events were either cancelled or postponed. Dhoni went on to announce his international retirement on August 15, 2020. Dhoni last played for India in the semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2019 versus New Zealand and then opted for a sabbatical from the game. Sarandeep has now said that Dhoni was one of the fittest players in the Indian dressing room while revealing the former India skipper was in contention to play the T20 World Cup which could have been his last major tournament for India. ALSO READ: Can't wait to share dressing room with the likes of Kohli, says Rahul Tewatia “Definitely, he would have played (had COVID-19 not interrupted). We were also thinking that he should have definitely played the World T20. He was fit. There was no reason for him to not play. We always see the fitness of the players first to see how long they can play. And Mahi was the fittest. He never took a break from practice. Even in optional practice, Mahi was there. And you see it never happened that he missed a game because of injury. That’s why he got so much respect from everyone,” Sarandeep, former India selector, told Sportskeeda. The former India selector went on to add that all the members of the selection committee thought that Dhoni deserved to play the T20 World Cup for what he has achieved for the Men in Blue. ALSO READ: Will take a call on county stint after IPL, says CSK's latest recruit Cheteshwar Pujara “We always felt that a player who played so much for India and won so many trophies – there’s not a single trophy he hasn’t won – deserved that chance. It was my personal opinion and opinion of everyone in the selection committee that MS Dhoni should have played the World T20,” said Sarandeep. Dhoni continues to be a part of the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings and will be seen in the 14 edition of the cash-rich tournament.

MS Dhoni would have played T20 World Cup in 2020, says former Team India selector

From MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to Chris Morris: Most expensive buys in every IPL auctions

Ajinkya Rahane on Tuesday joined former Indian captain MS Dhoni in a rare list of captains to have won their first three Tests. Rahane led India to a memorable eight-wicket win against Australia in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.&nbsp;

Rahane became the second Indian captain to win each of this first three Tests a captain after MS Dhoni. Rahane first led India in a Test match against Australia in Dharamsala which the hosts won by eight wickets in 2016/17.

Rahane’s second Test win as a captain came against Afghanistan in what was a one-off Test in Bengaluru in 2018 where the hosts defeated Afghanistan by an innings and 262 runs. And his third win as a Test captain came on Tuesday as India defeated Australia by eight wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/couldnt-be-happier-for-jinks-virat-kohli-lauds-ajinkya-rahane-co-for-historic-win-in-boxing-day-test-353106" hreflang="en">'Couldn't be happier for Jinks' - Virat Kohli lauds Ajinkya Rahane &amp; Co. for historic win in Boxing Day Test</a>

<h2>Ajinkya Rahane as skipper:</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Beat Australia by eight wickets, Dharamsala 2016/17</li>
	<li>Beat Afghanistan by innings and 262 runs, Bengaluru 2018</li>
	<li>Beat Australia by eight wickets, MCG 2020/21 *</li>
</ul>

Furthermore, Melbourne became India’s best away ground as the visitors registered their fourth win in the iconic stadium (in 14 Tests). India’s second-most wins at an overseas venue are at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain (3 in 13 Tests) with Sabina Park in Kingston, and SSC in Colombo all locked at three wins for India.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/icc-announces-decade-awards-from-kohli-smith-to-perry-heres-complete-list-of-winners-352996" hreflang="en">ICC announces Decade Awards: From Kohli, Smith to Perry - Here's complete list of winners</a>

<h2>Most wins for India at an overseas venue:</h2>

<ul>
	<li>4 MCG, Melbourne (14 Tests)</li>
	<li>3 Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain (13 Tests)</li>
	<li>3 Sabina Park, Kingston (13 Tests)</li>
	<li>3 SSC, Colombo (9 Tests)</li>
</ul>

Now, India would be looking to carry the winning run when they take the field for the third Test from January 7 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Ajinkya Rahane on Tuesday joined former Indian captain MS Dhoni in a rare list of captains to have won their first three Tests. Rahane led India to a memorable eight-wicket win against Australia in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Ajinkya Rahane on Tuesday joined former Indian captain MS Dhoni in a rare list of captains to have won their first three Tests. Rahane led India to a memorable eight-wicket win against Australia in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Rahane became the second Indian captain to win each of this first three Tests a captain after MS Dhoni. Rahane first led India in a Test match against Australia in Dharamsala which the hosts won by eight wickets in 2016/17. Rahane’s second Test win as a captain came against Afghanistan in what was a one-off Test in Bengaluru in 2018 where the hosts defeated Afghanistan by an innings and 262 runs. And his third win as a Test captain came on Tuesday as India defeated Australia by eight wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. ALSO READ: 'Couldn't be happier for Jinks' - Virat Kohli lauds Ajinkya Rahane & Co. for historic win in Boxing Day Test Ajinkya Rahane as skipper: Beat Australia by eight wickets, Dharamsala 2016/17 Beat Afghanistan by innings and 262 runs, Bengaluru 2018 Beat Australia by eight wickets, MCG 2020/21 * Furthermore, Melbourne became India’s best away ground as the visitors registered their fourth win in the iconic stadium (in 14 Tests). India’s second-most wins at an overseas venue are at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain (3 in 13 Tests) with Sabina Park in Kingston, and SSC in Colombo all locked at three wins for India. ALSO READ: ICC announces Decade Awards: From Kohli, Smith to Perry - Here's complete list of winners Most wins for India at an overseas venue: 4 MCG, Melbourne (14 Tests) 3 Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain (13 Tests) 3 Sabina Park, Kingston (13 Tests) 3 SSC, Colombo (9 Tests) Now, India would be looking to carry the winning run when they take the field for the third Test from January 7 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Ajinkya Rahane joins MS Dhoni in a rare list as India win Boxing Day Test vs Australia

ICC announces Decade Awards: From Kohli, Smith to Perry - Here's complete list of winners

Former Indian cricketer MS Dhoni on Friday became the winner of the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade with Dhoni’s move of recalling England batsman Ian Bell in the Nottingham Test in 2011 between India and England winning the coveted award by a unanimous vote.&nbsp;

Dhoni was voted unanimously for his tremendous gesture of calling back Bell after the England batsman was adjudged run-out after some confusion. 
In the match between England and India in Nottingham in 2011, Bell was batting on 137 when he slashed a delivery towards the backward point fielder.

Praveen Kumar chased the ball but couldn’t stop it from hitting the boundary rope after a diving effort. Kumar didn’t know about the situation and threw the ball towards the wicket-keeper’s end where the fielder ran Bell out.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-named-icc-male-cricketer-of-the-decade-odi-player-of-the-decade-check-full-list-352886" hreflang="en">Virat Kohli named ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade, ODI Player of the Decade - Check full list</a>

The third umpire, too, gave Bell out. With Bell walking back to the pavilion, disappointedly, he was asked to stop by the umpires. The Indian team walked towards Bell and MS Dhoni took the appeal back and called back Bell to continue his innings.

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ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the decade , MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI 👑❤ chosen for calling Ian Bell back by withdrawing India's appeal. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSDhoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSDhoni</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhoni</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICCAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICCAwards</a> <a href="https://t.co/rCQz7XDHQ8">pic.twitter.com/rCQz7XDHQ8</a>
— Bhavya (@BhavyaDhoni) <a href="https://twitter.com/BhavyaDhoni/status/1343494279432269824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Back in the time, Dhoni’s gesture was largely lauded by the fans and pundits and after a gap of nine years, Dhoni’s tremendous gesture and sportsman spirit have been awarded with the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-announces-team-of-the-decade-virat-kohli-features-in-all-formats-352731" hreflang="en">ICC announces 'Team of the Decade', Virat Kohli features in all formats</a>

Meanwhile, current Indian captain Virat Kohli was named the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Decade and Men’s ODI Player of the Decade. Australian batsman Steve Smith was awarded the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Decade while Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan was named ICC Men’s T20I Player of the Decade.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Former Indian cricketer MS Dhoni on Friday became the winner of the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade with Dhoni’s move of recalling England batsman Ian Bell in the Nottingham Test in 2011 between India and England winning the coveted award by a unanimous vote.

Former Indian cricketer MS Dhoni on Friday became the winner of the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade with Dhoni’s move of recalling England batsman Ian Bell in the Nottingham Test in 2011 between India and England winning the coveted award by a unanimous vote. Dhoni was voted unanimously for his tremendous gesture of calling back Bell after the England batsman was adjudged run-out after some confusion. In the match between England and India in Nottingham in 2011, Bell was batting on 137 when he slashed a delivery towards the backward point fielder. Praveen Kumar chased the ball but couldn’t stop it from hitting the boundary rope after a diving effort. Kumar didn’t know about the situation and threw the ball towards the wicket-keeper’s end where the fielder ran Bell out. ALSO READ: Virat Kohli named ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade, ODI Player of the Decade - Check full list The third umpire, too, gave Bell out. With Bell walking back to the pavilion, disappointedly, he was asked to stop by the umpires. The Indian team walked towards Bell and MS Dhoni took the appeal back and called back Bell to continue his innings. ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the decade , MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI 👑❤ chosen for calling Ian Bell back by withdrawing India's appeal. #MSDhoni | #Dhoni | #ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/rCQz7XDHQ8 — Bhavya (@BhavyaDhoni) December 28, 2020 × × Back in the time, Dhoni’s gesture was largely lauded by the fans and pundits and after a gap of nine years, Dhoni’s tremendous gesture and sportsman spirit have been awarded with the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade. ALSO READ: ICC announces 'Team of the Decade', Virat Kohli features in all formats Meanwhile, current Indian captain Virat Kohli was named the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Decade and Men’s ODI Player of the Decade. Australian batsman Steve Smith was awarded the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Decade while Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan was named ICC Men’s T20I Player of the Decade.

ICC Spirit of the Decade Award: When MS Dhoni recalled Ian Bell during Nottingham Test in 2011- Watch

The year 2020 has been like no other. Even though everyone stayed home and stayed safe, the spirit of sports lovers on Twitter was alive and well. People tuned into the timeline to enhance their viewing experience and feel more connected to the game. Fans and athletes stayed away from the stadium and used Twitter to stay connected with each other, sharing fitness routines, DIY activities and having conversations through Twitter Q&amp;As.&nbsp;

Here is a look at the Top Sports Tweets of 2020 that struck a chord with Indians and became the most Retweeted and Liked Tweets this year.&nbsp;

#ThisHappened: Top Sports Tweets of 2020

(Identified based on the total number of Retweets / Likes by Twitter accounts in India between Jan 1 to Nov 15, 2020.)

Most Retweeted Tweet in Indian Sports: MS Dhoni expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s letter

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An Artist,Soldier and Sportsperson what they crave for is appreciation, that their hard work and sacrifice is getting noticed and appreciated by everyone.thanks PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> for your appreciation and good wishes. <a href="https://t.co/T0naCT7mO7">pic.twitter.com/T0naCT7mO7</a>
— Mahendra Singh Dhoni (@msdhoni) <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni/status/1296362680580636672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Former Team India skipper M.S Dhoni shared his gratitude on Twitter, thanking Prime Minister Modi for sending him a letter that acknowledged his deep contribution to cricket in India. The Tweet was met with a tremendous roar of approval across the nation making it the most Retweeted Tweet by an athlete.

Most Liked &amp; Quote Tweeted Tweet: Virat Kohli Tweeted about Anushka Sharma’s pregnancy, sharing his joy and happiness with billions on the service.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-taking-the-knee-to-joining-protests-athletes-who-contributed-to-black-lives-matter-movement-349554" hreflang="en">From taking the knee to joining protests: Athletes who contributed to 'Black Lives Matter' movement</a>

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And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021 ❤️🙏 <a href="https://t.co/0BDSogBM1n">pic.twitter.com/0BDSogBM1n</a>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1298856026544906240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Virat Kohli’s&nbsp;Tweet that announced Anushka Sharma’s pregnancy became the ‘Most Liked and Quote Tweeted Tweet of 2020’ for sports as people across India shared their love and good wishes with the couple.

<h2>#ThisHappened: Most Tweeted sports hashtags:</h2>

1.#IPL2020: Twitter was abuzz with Tweets across the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the much-anticipated T20 cricket tournament took place later in the year than usual. Cricket enthusiasts celebrated and connected with each other on Twitter, making #IPL2020 the most Tweeted hashtag in sports for 2020.&nbsp;

2.#WhistlePodu: The MS Dhoni-led team Chennai Super Kings became the most Tweeted about team in #IPL2020, and subsequently their team hashtag #WhistlePodu became the second-most Tweeted hashtag in sports this year.

3.#TeamIndia: At the start of the year, the stellar performance of the Indian Women’s cricket team&nbsp;at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup created cheerful conversations and translated into strong momentum on and off the field.

<img alt="Twitter" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c15ba7c1-2d55-42f8-9044-40258e415c59" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/WhatsApp%20Image%202020-12-14%20at%201.13.20%20PM.jpeg" />

<h2>#ThisHappened: Most mentioned Indian athletes in 2020</h2>

The most Tweeted about Indian athletes on Twitter was cricketer, and captain of Team India, Virat Kohli , followed by two other cricket icons MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.

While cricketers dominated the male charts, it was our Olympian stars which made it to the top of the most mentioned female athletes on Twitter in India in 2020. Indian wrestler, who is in the race for Tokyo Olympics, Geeta Phogat was the most mentioned Indian woman athlete on Twitter followed by India’s Badminton stars PV Sindhu&nbsp;and Saina Nehwal.

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/postponements-and-resumption-a-turbulent-year-of-2020-for-sports-world-346992" hreflang="en">Postponements and resumption: A turbulent year of 2020 for sports world</a>

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<h2>#ThisHappened: Most Tweeted about sports other than Cricket in India</h2>

India is a cricketing nation, and Twitter is where that cricket action unfolds -- but there are many other sports that fill Indian timelines too. One of the most followed sports after cricket in India is football, and so unsurprisingly this became the most Tweeted about sport (other than cricket) on Twitter this year. Basketball (NBA) and F1 Racing were the other two sports which were discussed the most by Indian fans in 2020.

1.Football 
2.Basketball (NBA) 
3.F1 Racing

<img alt="Twitter" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a97df5e7-00b2-449a-89d1-100527968856" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/WhatsApp%20Image%202020-12-14%20at%201.13.21%20PM.jpeg" />

Here is the list of top three most Tweeted about global sports teams and global athletes in India this year:

<h2>#ThisHappened: Most Tweeted about global sports personalities in India</h2>

1.Cristiano Ronaldo&nbsp; 
2.David Warner&nbsp; 
3.AB de Villiers

<h2>#ThisHappened: Most Tweeted about global teams Tweeted about by Indians</h2>

1.Manchester United 
2.FC Barcelona 
3.Arsenal&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

The year 2020 has been like no other. Even though everyone stayed home and stayed safe, the spirit of sports lovers on Twitter was alive and well. People tuned into the timeline to enhance their viewing experience and feel more connected to the game.

The year 2020 has been like no other. Even though everyone stayed home and stayed safe, the spirit of sports lovers on Twitter was alive and well. People tuned into the timeline to enhance their viewing experience and feel more connected to the game. Fans and athletes stayed away from the stadium and used Twitter to stay connected with each other, sharing fitness routines, DIY activities and having conversations through Twitter Q&As. Here is a look at the Top Sports Tweets of 2020 that struck a chord with Indians and became the most Retweeted and Liked Tweets this year. #ThisHappened: Top Sports Tweets of 2020 (Identified based on the total number of Retweets / Likes by Twitter accounts in India between Jan 1 to Nov 15, 2020.) Most Retweeted Tweet in Indian Sports: MS Dhoni expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s letter An Artist,Soldier and Sportsperson what they crave for is appreciation, that their hard work and sacrifice is getting noticed and appreciated by everyone.thanks PM @narendramodi for your appreciation and good wishes. pic.twitter.com/T0naCT7mO7 — Mahendra Singh Dhoni (@msdhoni) August 20, 2020 × Former Team India skipper M.S Dhoni shared his gratitude on Twitter, thanking Prime Minister Modi for sending him a letter that acknowledged his deep contribution to cricket in India. The Tweet was met with a tremendous roar of approval across the nation making it the most Retweeted Tweet by an athlete. Most Liked & Quote Tweeted Tweet: Virat Kohli Tweeted about Anushka Sharma’s pregnancy, sharing his joy and happiness with billions on the service. ALSO READ: From taking the knee to joining protests: Athletes who contributed to 'Black Lives Matter' movement And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021 ❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/0BDSogBM1n — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) August 27, 2020 × Virat Kohli’s Tweet that announced Anushka Sharma’s pregnancy became the ‘Most Liked and Quote Tweeted Tweet of 2020’ for sports as people across India shared their love and good wishes with the couple. #ThisHappened: Most Tweeted sports hashtags: 1.#IPL2020: Twitter was abuzz with Tweets across the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the much-anticipated T20 cricket tournament took place later in the year than usual. Cricket enthusiasts celebrated and connected with each other on Twitter, making #IPL2020 the most Tweeted hashtag in sports for 2020. 2.#WhistlePodu: The MS Dhoni-led team Chennai Super Kings became the most Tweeted about team in #IPL2020, and subsequently their team hashtag #WhistlePodu became the second-most Tweeted hashtag in sports this year. 3.#TeamIndia: At the start of the year, the stellar performance of the Indian Women’s cricket team at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup created cheerful conversations and translated into strong momentum on and off the field. #ThisHappened: Most mentioned Indian athletes in 2020 The most Tweeted about Indian athletes on Twitter was cricketer, and captain of Team India, Virat Kohli , followed by two other cricket icons MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. While cricketers dominated the male charts, it was our Olympian stars which made it to the top of the most mentioned female athletes on Twitter in India in 2020. Indian wrestler, who is in the race for Tokyo Olympics, Geeta Phogat was the most mentioned Indian woman athlete on Twitter followed by India’s Badminton stars PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal. IN PICS | Postponements and resumption: A turbulent year of 2020 for sports world #ThisHappened: Most Tweeted about sports other than Cricket in India India is a cricketing nation, and Twitter is where that cricket action unfolds -- but there are many other sports that fill Indian timelines too. One of the most followed sports after cricket in India is football, and so unsurprisingly this became the most Tweeted about sport (other than cricket) on Twitter this year. Basketball (NBA) and F1 Racing were the other two sports which were discussed the most by Indian fans in 2020. 1.Football 2.Basketball (NBA) 3.F1 Racing Here is the list of top three most Tweeted about global sports teams and global athletes in India this year: #ThisHappened: Most Tweeted about global sports personalities in India 1.Cristiano Ronaldo 2.David Warner 3.AB de Villiers #ThisHappened: Most Tweeted about global teams Tweeted about by Indians 1.Manchester United 2.FC Barcelona 3.Arsenal

#ThisHappened2020: Kohli, Dhoni most mentioned athletes on Twitter, IPL 2020 most tweeted sports hashtags

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni has emerged as the highest-paid player in the Indian Premier League. According to Inside Sports Money Ball, former India captain has earned over Rs 137 crore by playing IPL.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-overshadows-coronavirus-tops-list-of-most-trending-search-on-google-india-in-2020-348595" hreflang="en">IPL overshadows coronavirus, tops list of most trending search on Google India in 2020</a>

Dhoni was the costliest pick in IPL 2008 and he joined Chennai Super Kings for $1.5 million. He went on to become the marquee captain in first three seasons of IPL.&nbsp;

His success with Chennai, which includes three IPL trophies, helped his popularity in the format and is now the highest-paid player in the history of the league.

Rs 137 crore does not include the several cash prizes like Player of the Match awards, etc.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/suresh-raina-to-return-for-ipl-202021-and-syed-mushtaq-ali-348610" hreflang="en">Suresh Raina to return for IPL 2020/21 and Syed Mushtaq Ali</a>

From IPL 2011 to 2013, he earned nearly Rs 8.2 crore every year. In 2014, the BCCI raised the first-choice retention fees to Rs. 12.5 crores. Hence, Dhoni earned that amount in IPL 2014 and 2015. Dhoni was picked up by Rising Pune Supergiants after CSK was suspended for two years. However, his change in the franchise did not change the income he earned.&nbsp;

BCCI increased the first-choice retention price to Rs 15 crore before IPL 2018 due to which Dhoni earned Rs 45 crores in the next three years.&nbsp;

While playing for India, Dhoni mostly remained in the top bracket in BCCI's central contract list. His success in IPL has always helped him stay in the Playing XI in the T20 league.&nbsp;

Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma is second in the list. The prolific batsman has earned over Rs 131 crore.

Third, on the list is Virat Kohli. The Royal Challengers' Bangalore skipper comes with an income of over Rs 126 crore.

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni has emerged as the highest-paid player in the Indian Premier League. According to Inside Sports Money Ball, former India captain has earned over Rs 137 crore by playing IPL.

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni has emerged as the highest-paid player in the Indian Premier League. According to Inside Sports Money Ball, former India captain has earned over Rs 137 crore by playing IPL. Also read: IPL overshadows coronavirus, tops list of most trending search on Google India in 2020 Dhoni was the costliest pick in IPL 2008 and he joined Chennai Super Kings for $1.5 million. He went on to become the marquee captain in first three seasons of IPL. His success with Chennai, which includes three IPL trophies, helped his popularity in the format and is now the highest-paid player in the history of the league. Rs 137 crore does not include the several cash prizes like Player of the Match awards, etc. Also read: Suresh Raina to return for IPL 2020/21 and Syed Mushtaq Ali From IPL 2011 to 2013, he earned nearly Rs 8.2 crore every year. In 2014, the BCCI raised the first-choice retention fees to Rs. 12.5 crores. Hence, Dhoni earned that amount in IPL 2014 and 2015. Dhoni was picked up by Rising Pune Supergiants after CSK was suspended for two years. However, his change in the franchise did not change the income he earned. BCCI increased the first-choice retention price to Rs 15 crore before IPL 2018 due to which Dhoni earned Rs 45 crores in the next three years. While playing for India, Dhoni mostly remained in the top bracket in BCCI's central contract list. His success in IPL has always helped him stay in the Playing XI in the T20 league. Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma is second in the list. The prolific batsman has earned over Rs 131 crore. Third, on the list is Virat Kohli. The Royal Challengers' Bangalore skipper comes with an income of over Rs 126 crore.

MS Dhoni emerges as the highest-paid player in IPL; Checkout the figures!

Twitter India's annual report, #ThisHappened2020, has been formally released and the Indian&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only Asian to feature in the top 10 list of the 'people most tweeted about' in the year 2020. Cricketers Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni,&nbsp;Tamil actor Vijay and Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, too, have made to top trends.

<img alt="The Most Talked About People on Twitter in 2020" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XRWoiakmwC4MoSX64iGnz4-320-80.png" />

This Twitter list has been compiled on the basis of tweets, quote retweets, likes and retweets from&nbsp;the Twitter users from the start of the year till November 15.&nbsp;With Indian Twitter having third most users in the world (close to&nbsp;19 million), the Indian Prime Minister Modi became the seventh most tweeted about person in the world, with US President Donald Trump leading the list, despite losing the US elections.

"From the fight against this global pandemic, rejoicing in celebratory moments, standing up for those communities impacted by the pandemic, to bonding over rediscovered shows, interests and memes, India came together beautifully on Twitter this year," said&nbsp;Twitter India managing director Manish Maheshwari.

Modi's tweet about '9 minutes on 9pm' became one of the most retweeted tweet of the year with nearly&nbsp;106.5k retweets.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9pm9minute?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9pm9minute</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1246666853415407617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Showing the power of regional cinema, Tamil actor Vijay topped the list of most retweeted tweet from the entertainment industry with nearly&nbsp;145.8k retweets on his selfie with fans in&nbsp;Neyveli, Tamil Nadu in February.

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Thank you Neyveli <a href="https://t.co/cXQC8iPukl">pic.twitter.com/cXQC8iPukl</a>
— Vijay (@actorvijay) <a href="https://twitter.com/actorvijay/status/1226863840513515520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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However, Amitabh Bachchan, also known as 'Big B' topped the list of most-liked&nbsp;and quoted tweet of the year for the tweet informing about him testing positive for COVID-19.

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T 3590 -I have tested CoviD positive .. shifted to Hospital .. hospital informing authorities .. family and staff undergone tests , results awaited .. 
All that have been in close proximity to me in the last 10 days are requested to please get themselves tested !
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/1282002456063295490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Other popular mentions were #SushantSinghRajput, whose name and movie 'Dil Bechara' trended sadly after his unfortunate death and the controversy around it.

In sports, the Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli topped the list of most popular personality for the tweet announcing the pregnancy of his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma with the caption, "And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021".

Next in line was the former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni whose tweet about his retirement sent shock waves around the country and international borders, making&nbsp;it one of the most popular tweets of the year.

Twitter India's annual report, #ThisHappened2020, has been formally released and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only Asian to feature in the top 10 list of the 'people most tweeted about' in the year 2020.

Twitter India's annual report, #ThisHappened2020, has been formally released and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only Asian to feature in the top 10 list of the 'people most tweeted about' in the year 2020. Cricketers Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Tamil actor Vijay and Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, too, have made to top trends. This Twitter list has been compiled on the basis of tweets, quote retweets, likes and retweets from the Twitter users from the start of the year till November 15. With Indian Twitter having third most users in the world (close to 19 million), the Indian Prime Minister Modi became the seventh most tweeted about person in the world, with US President Donald Trump leading the list, despite losing the US elections. "From the fight against this global pandemic, rejoicing in celebratory moments, standing up for those communities impacted by the pandemic, to bonding over rediscovered shows, interests and memes, India came together beautifully on Twitter this year," said Twitter India managing director Manish Maheshwari. Modi's tweet about '9 minutes on 9pm' became one of the most retweeted tweet of the year with nearly 106.5k retweets. #9pm9minute — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2020 × Showing the power of regional cinema, Tamil actor Vijay topped the list of most retweeted tweet from the entertainment industry with nearly 145.8k retweets on his selfie with fans in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu in February. Thank you Neyveli pic.twitter.com/cXQC8iPukl — Vijay (@actorvijay) February 10, 2020 × However, Amitabh Bachchan, also known as 'Big B' topped the list of most-liked and quoted tweet of the year for the tweet informing about him testing positive for COVID-19. T 3590 -I have tested CoviD positive .. shifted to Hospital .. hospital informing authorities .. family and staff undergone tests , results awaited .. All that have been in close proximity to me in the last 10 days are requested to please get themselves tested ! — Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 11, 2020 × Other popular mentions were #SushantSinghRajput, whose name and movie 'Dil Bechara' trended sadly after his unfortunate death and the controversy around it. In sports, the Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli topped the list of most popular personality for the tweet announcing the pregnancy of his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma with the caption, "And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021". Next in line was the former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni whose tweet about his retirement sent shock waves around the country and international borders, making it one of the most popular tweets of the year.

#ThisHappened2020: Modi features in top 10 Twitter mentions; Kohli and Dhoni top trending charts

From KXIP's short run to Suresh Raina: Here are top 5 controversies of IPL 2020

India's former batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that MS Dhoni might hand over his captaincy in the upcoming IPL season and represent Chennai Super Kings as a player.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-cricketer-krunal-pandya-detained-at-mumbai-airport-342783" hreflang="en">Indian Cricketer Krunal Pandya detained at Mumbai airport</a>

In the recent episode of Star Sports' show Cricket Connected, Sanjay Bangar and Irfan Pathan discussed Chennai's strategies for IPL 2021 so that they don't repeat the 2020 debacle.&nbsp;

Pathan was asked if he sees MS Dhoni preparing someone to take over the CSK captaincy and if he has any such player in mind. Being a CSK player in the past, Irfan said that he can't think of anyone at the moment. Former India player went on to say that Dhoni will return to IPL 2021 "better prepared with more emphasis on fitness."

Irfan said: "As of now, I am not getting any such player in my mind. The next year I am seeing that MS Dhoni will come, there is only a gap of few months between this season and the next season, which means he will come better prepared with more emphasis on fitness."

However, Bangar believed that Dhoni might hand over his captaincy to Faf du Plessis as he in the past handed his reigns of India team to Virat at the right time.&nbsp;

Bangar said: "As far as I know, MS Dhoni might have thought after 2011 if he should be continuing to captain the Indian team but he knew that India had quite a few tough encounters after that, we had to go and play in England and Australia and at that time there was no captaincy candidate ready, so he only handled that burden and at the right time he handed over the captaincy to Virat Kohli and he also played after that."

"So as far as I can understand, I feel that MS Dhoni may not be the captain next year and may play as a player and give the captaincy at this stage to Faf du Plessis for the transition to happen under Faf du Plessis," Sanjay Bangar added.&nbsp;

India's former batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that MS Dhoni might hand over his captaincy in the upcoming IPL season and represent Chennai Super Kings as a player.

India's former batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that MS Dhoni might hand over his captaincy in the upcoming IPL season and represent Chennai Super Kings as a player. Also read: Indian Cricketer Krunal Pandya detained at Mumbai airport In the recent episode of Star Sports' show Cricket Connected, Sanjay Bangar and Irfan Pathan discussed Chennai's strategies for IPL 2021 so that they don't repeat the 2020 debacle. Pathan was asked if he sees MS Dhoni preparing someone to take over the CSK captaincy and if he has any such player in mind. Being a CSK player in the past, Irfan said that he can't think of anyone at the moment. Former India player went on to say that Dhoni will return to IPL 2021 "better prepared with more emphasis on fitness." Irfan said: "As of now, I am not getting any such player in my mind. The next year I am seeing that MS Dhoni will come, there is only a gap of few months between this season and the next season, which means he will come better prepared with more emphasis on fitness." However, Bangar believed that Dhoni might hand over his captaincy to Faf du Plessis as he in the past handed his reigns of India team to Virat at the right time. Bangar said: "As far as I know, MS Dhoni might have thought after 2011 if he should be continuing to captain the Indian team but he knew that India had quite a few tough encounters after that, we had to go and play in England and Australia and at that time there was no captaincy candidate ready, so he only handled that burden and at the right time he handed over the captaincy to Virat Kohli and he also played after that." "So as far as I can understand, I feel that MS Dhoni may not be the captain next year and may play as a player and give the captaincy at this stage to Faf du Plessis for the transition to happen under Faf du Plessis," Sanjay Bangar added.

IPL 2021: 'I feel that MS Dhoni may not be the captain next year'- Sanjay Bangar

Team India is yet to fill the void left by MS Dhoni's retirement. Dhoni's prolific career and records make him one of the best in the game. After his retirement, Rishabh Pant was looked at as a replacement after making name for himself in Indian Premier League.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-will-have-more-fun-in-playoffs-than-we-had-in-last-2-months-says-rcbs-virat-kohli-340566" hreflang="en">Will have more fun in playoffs than we had in last 2 months: Kohli</a>

Pant was also fast-tracked into the Indian team and initially performed well for India. However, the young gun saw a decline in 2019 and 2020. He has had a poor IPL season this year and Gautam Gambhir said that he should not be compared to MS Dhoni.&nbsp;

He said: “First of all, you have to stop saying that Rishabh Pant is the next MS Dhoni. That is one thing which media needs to stop doing it. The more media talks about it, the more Rishabh Pant starts thinking on those chances. He can never be MS Dhoni. He has to be Rishabh Pant.”

“MS Dhoni probably had so much of range when he came on to international sixes. With Rishabh Pant, only because he could hit those big sixes and stuff, people started comparing him with someone like MS Dhoni. Rishabh Pant has a lot to improve, especially from the keeping point of views and from the batting point of view as well,” he added.&nbsp;

Pant has featured in 12 matches in this IPL and&nbsp;has scored only 285.

Team India is yet to fill the void left by MS Dhoni's retirement. Dhoni's prolific career and records make him one of the best in the game. After his retirement, Rishabh Pant was looked at as a replacement after making name for himself in Indian Premier League.

Team India is yet to fill the void left by MS Dhoni's retirement. Dhoni's prolific career and records make him one of the best in the game. After his retirement, Rishabh Pant was looked at as a replacement after making name for himself in Indian Premier League. Also read: Will have more fun in playoffs than we had in last 2 months: Kohli Pant was also fast-tracked into the Indian team and initially performed well for India. However, the young gun saw a decline in 2019 and 2020. He has had a poor IPL season this year and Gautam Gambhir said that he should not be compared to MS Dhoni. He said: “First of all, you have to stop saying that Rishabh Pant is the next MS Dhoni. That is one thing which media needs to stop doing it. The more media talks about it, the more Rishabh Pant starts thinking on those chances. He can never be MS Dhoni. He has to be Rishabh Pant.” “MS Dhoni probably had so much of range when he came on to international sixes. With Rishabh Pant, only because he could hit those big sixes and stuff, people started comparing him with someone like MS Dhoni. Rishabh Pant has a lot to improve, especially from the keeping point of views and from the batting point of view as well,” he added. Pant has featured in 12 matches in this IPL and has scored only 285.

'He can never be MS Dhoni': Gautam Gambhir on Rishabh Pant

Many cricketing pundits have questioned MS Dhoni's form in this year's IPL after his team failed to make it to the playoffs for the first time in their history. MS Dhoni had not played competitive cricket for more than a year and had announced his retirement one month before IPL began.

Many cricketing pundits have questioned MS Dhoni's form in this year's IPL after his team failed to make it to the playoffs for the first time in their history. MS Dhoni had not played competitive cricket for more than a year and had announced his retirement one month before IPL began. Many fans waited to see the prolific cricketer to play in this year's IPL but were left disappointed as Dhoni could not fire with the bat. Dhoni could only manage 200 runs at an average of 25 in 14 matches he played for CSK. These runs came at an alarming strike rate of 116. Also read: 'If IPL 2021 happens in UAE, Dhoni has to play again in 2022': Michael Vaughan India's cricketing legend and world cup winning captain Kapil Dev talked about Dhoni's form in this IPL. While talking to ABP news, Kapil said Dhoni's form will not get better if chooses to play in IPL without getting any match practice and urged the CSK skipper to play a lot more in the domestic circuit to get his form back. He said: "If Dhoni decides on playing only IPL every year, then it’s impossible for him to perform. It’s not a good thing to talk about age but at his age (39 years), the more he plays, the more his body will be tuned." Also read: 'Emotional' Shane Watson retires from all forms of cricket: Report "If you don’t play any cricket for 10 months a year and suddenly play IPL, you can see what happened. You can always have a season up or down if you have played so much cricket. It has happened to someone like Chris Gayle also," he added. According to Kapil Dev, "He should go back to first-class cricket (domestic List A and T20) and play there." "If someone has achieved so much, the dip in form does affect and it becomes a challenge. Let’s see how he comes out of it," Kapil said. (Inputs from PTI)

'He should go back to.. ': Kapil Dev on MS Dhoni's woeful form in IPL 2020

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni had a woeful 2020 IPL season in UAE. Despite finishing with three consecutive wins, the team finished on the seventh position.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/look-for-the-next-ten-years-dhoni-promises-change-in-csk-for-next-season-339519" hreflang="en">'Look for the next ten years': Dhoni promises change in CSK for next season</a>

During his final game of 2020, he announced that he will continue to play for CSK in the IPL. However, there are rumours of IPL 2021 being held in UAE.

Former English captain Michael Vaughan, while speaking to Cricbuzz, said that Dhoni deserves to play his final IPL game in front of the crowd for his grand exit from the sport.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/definitely-not-ms-dhoni-clears-the-air-on-his-future-with-csk-in-ipl-339424" hreflang="en">'Definitely not': MS Dhoni clears the air on his future with CSK in IPL</a>

He said: "If the IPL takes place in the UAE next year again, which there are whispers it will happen, MS Dhoni will have to play another year. He cannot finish his IPL career in front of no crowd."

"He has to play at least one game the following year. He cannot go out in front of no crowds. If there is one player who deserves a big crowd to say goodbye to - if he probably cannot play, he would just disappear and say goodbye without us knowing about it - like he did in international cricket," Vaughan added.&nbsp;

He said: "But I want to see a grand crowd for his last game."

Chennai Super Kings end their IPL 2020 campaign with three back-to-back wins, but the match must hurt Kings XI Punjab the most as they would have almost confirmed their place in the playoffs with a win. They end their IPL 2020 campaign with back-to-back defeats.&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni had a woeful 2020 IPL season in UAE. Despite finishing with three consecutive wins, the team finished on the seventh position.

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni had a woeful 2020 IPL season in UAE. Despite finishing with three consecutive wins, the team finished on the seventh position. Also read: 'Look for the next ten years': Dhoni promises change in CSK for next season During his final game of 2020, he announced that he will continue to play for CSK in the IPL. However, there are rumours of IPL 2021 being held in UAE. Former English captain Michael Vaughan, while speaking to Cricbuzz, said that Dhoni deserves to play his final IPL game in front of the crowd for his grand exit from the sport. Also read: 'Definitely not': MS Dhoni clears the air on his future with CSK in IPL He said: "If the IPL takes place in the UAE next year again, which there are whispers it will happen, MS Dhoni will have to play another year. He cannot finish his IPL career in front of no crowd." "He has to play at least one game the following year. He cannot go out in front of no crowds. If there is one player who deserves a big crowd to say goodbye to - if he probably cannot play, he would just disappear and say goodbye without us knowing about it - like he did in international cricket," Vaughan added. He said: "But I want to see a grand crowd for his last game." Chennai Super Kings end their IPL 2020 campaign with three back-to-back wins, but the match must hurt Kings XI Punjab the most as they would have almost confirmed their place in the playoffs with a win. They end their IPL 2020 campaign with back-to-back defeats.

'If IPL 2021 happens in UAE, Dhoni has to play again in 2022': Michael Vaughan

Chennai Super Kings have had a woeful IPL season this year as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the very first time. MS Dhoni has not been in a good form this season, and his captaincy was questioned by many.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-csk-vs-kxip-preview-kings-xi-punjab-play-do-or-die-match-against-chennai-339400">IPL 2020, CSK vs KXIP Preview: Kings XI Punjab play do-or-die match</a>

However, Dhoni has confirmed that he will continue to appear for the franchise in the next edition of the Indian Premier League. He confirmed this during Chennai's final game in IPL 2020.&nbsp;

Commentator Danny Morrison asked Dhoni, "Will this be your last game in Yellow?" to which MS Dhoni replied, "definitely not."

MS Dhoni and Co sit at the bottom of the IPL table with 5 wins and 8 losses. However, they will be hoping to finish the season with a win.&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings faced a couple of setbacks way before the league began. They lost their star batsman and bowler (Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh). Many members of the team also contracted the dreadful coronavirus including Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Chahar.&nbsp;

Despite winning the season opener against Mumbai Indians, Chennai lost a string of matches and became the first team to be knocked out of the tournament.&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings have had a woeful IPL season this year as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the very first time. MS Dhoni has not been in a good form this season, and his captaincy was questioned by many.

Chennai Super Kings have had a woeful IPL season this year as they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the very first time. MS Dhoni has not been in a good form this season, and his captaincy was questioned by many. Also read: IPL 2020, CSK vs KXIP Preview: Kings XI Punjab play do-or-die match However, Dhoni has confirmed that he will continue to appear for the franchise in the next edition of the Indian Premier League. He confirmed this during Chennai's final game in IPL 2020. Commentator Danny Morrison asked Dhoni, "Will this be your last game in Yellow?" to which MS Dhoni replied, "definitely not." MS Dhoni and Co sit at the bottom of the IPL table with 5 wins and 8 losses. However, they will be hoping to finish the season with a win. Chennai Super Kings faced a couple of setbacks way before the league began. They lost their star batsman and bowler (Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh). Many members of the team also contracted the dreadful coronavirus including Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Chahar. Despite winning the season opener against Mumbai Indians, Chennai lost a string of matches and became the first team to be knocked out of the tournament.

'Definitely not': MS Dhoni clears the air on his future with CSK in IPL

Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has urged MS Dhoni to play competitive cricket in the build-up to the next edition of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">Indian Premier League (IPL)</a> while hoping that the veteran gloveman returns to lead the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2021.

Dhoni hasn’t looked in his best of touch in IPL 2020 thus far as rustiness crept in his batting. Even Dhoni himself conceded that he has struggled to find form due to lack of cricket and practice in the last 12 months.

".... you will always have a season or series where you're off the boil, and this is MS's. It has reflected on the team's fortunes as well. And it's something you get to expect. You can over analyse it, you analyse it any which way, it just happens. And it's happened at the back end of MSD's career.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lets-talk-about-suryakumar-yadav-338801" hreflang="en">Let's talk about Suryakumar Yadav</a>

"But that doesn't make him a lesser player or less important for CSK at all. It's just one of those phases that he has got to deal with and he's got to come out of it," Kumar Sangakkara told Star Sports on Thursday.

So far in IPL 2020, Dhoni has managed to score just 199 runs in 12 matches at a mere average of 28.42. His IPL career average is 41.32. Dhoni hasn’t scored a single half-century in the tournament.

However, Sangakkara stated that one bad season doesn’t make Dhoni a lesser player or less important for CSK in the future.

"I am sure he is hungry to keep playing, hungry to perform. Knowing MSD, he would much rather take a team win than a half-century for himself. That's the way he has been built, that's the way he has always thought. If he can contribute to it in any way, even by scoring 10 runs he'd be happy.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/sports/where-is-rohit-sharma-why-is-transparency-missing-from-bcci-338235" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/where-is-rohit-sharma-why-is-transparency-missing-from-bcci-338235&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjCh-jsjNrsAhXqyzgGHf86AN0QFjAAegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2P4mBTrDnZnTShA66zM2Fx" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/where-is-rohit-sharma-why-is-transparency-missing-from-bcci-338235" target="_blank">Where is&nbsp;Rohit Sharma? Why is transparency missing from BCCI</a>?

"He will, of course, be disappointed with his personal form but with only 2 games to go, I don't think there is any point in trying to salvage that. It's about winning games. He can address it after he goes and comes back next year.

"But what he has to do is to play some more super-competitive cricket in between. You can't have long gaps between your IPL seasons, not playing international cricket or not playing regional or first-class cricket. He has got to be super competitive and play competitive cricket to be in form."

MS Dhoni didn’t play any sort of competitive cricket since playing his last match for India in the semi-final of ICC World Cup 2019.&nbsp;

Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has urged MS Dhoni to play competitive cricket in the build-up to the next edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) while hoping that the veteran gloveman returns to lead the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2021.

Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has urged MS Dhoni to play competitive cricket in the build-up to the next edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) while hoping that the veteran gloveman returns to lead the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2021. Dhoni hasn’t looked in his best of touch in IPL 2020 thus far as rustiness crept in his batting. Even Dhoni himself conceded that he has struggled to find form due to lack of cricket and practice in the last 12 months. ".... you will always have a season or series where you're off the boil, and this is MS's. It has reflected on the team's fortunes as well. And it's something you get to expect. You can over analyse it, you analyse it any which way, it just happens. And it's happened at the back end of MSD's career. ALSO READ: Let's talk about Suryakumar Yadav "But that doesn't make him a lesser player or less important for CSK at all. It's just one of those phases that he has got to deal with and he's got to come out of it," Kumar Sangakkara told Star Sports on Thursday. So far in IPL 2020, Dhoni has managed to score just 199 runs in 12 matches at a mere average of 28.42. His IPL career average is 41.32. Dhoni hasn’t scored a single half-century in the tournament. However, Sangakkara stated that one bad season doesn’t make Dhoni a lesser player or less important for CSK in the future. "I am sure he is hungry to keep playing, hungry to perform. Knowing MSD, he would much rather take a team win than a half-century for himself. That's the way he has been built, that's the way he has always thought. If he can contribute to it in any way, even by scoring 10 runs he'd be happy. ALSO READ: Where is Rohit Sharma? Why is transparency missing from BCCI? "He will, of course, be disappointed with his personal form but with only 2 games to go, I don't think there is any point in trying to salvage that. It's about winning games. He can address it after he goes and comes back next year. "But what he has to do is to play some more super-competitive cricket in between. You can't have long gaps between your IPL seasons, not playing international cricket or not playing regional or first-class cricket. He has got to be super competitive and play competitive cricket to be in form." MS Dhoni didn’t play any sort of competitive cricket since playing his last match for India in the semi-final of ICC World Cup 2019.

MS Dhoni has to play super-competitive cricket before IPL 2021: Kumar Sangakkara

Virat's Royal Challengers Bangalore will square off against Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in the 44th match in the Indian Premier League at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Virat's Royal Challengers Bangalore will square off against Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in the 44th match in the Indian Premier League at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Also read: IPL 2020: Rana and Chakravarthy shine as Kolkata thrash Delhi by 59 runs Royal Challengers Bangalore have shown a good display of cricket this year after winning 7 matches out of 10 and are in the third position in the IPL points table. RCB's bowling performance has been the real match-winner for the franchise this year. Virat Kohli has been in good form. But the openers (Devdutt Padikkal and Aaron Finch) have failed to give a good start for Bangalore. Siraj's bowling performance in the last match against KKR makes him a very valuable asset for the team. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, has been woeful this IPL season. They sit on the bottom of the table with 8 losses and just 3 wins. MS Dhoni and Co. have failed to prove a point with both bat and ball. Their previous match (against Mumbai Indians) was the biggest defeat in IPL history after MI beat them by 10 wickets. Technically, Chennai is out of competition as they won't qualify for the play-offs. Probable XI: RCB: Aaron Finch, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers (wk), Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Chris Morris, Washington Sundar, Isuru Udana, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, N. Jagadeesan, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir, Josh Hazlewood/Lungi Ngidi/Mitchell Santner

IPL 2020: Virat's Royal Challengers take on Dhoni's Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings stunned Royal Challengers Bangalore after beating them by 8 wickets 44th match of IPL 2020 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Royal Challengers won the toss and chose to bat. Bangalore was off to a poor start as they lost both openers within seven overs. However, the 82-run partnership between skipper Kohli and de Villiers stabilised RCB innings. Virat Kohli scored the most runs (50 runs off 43 balls) for the team. Sam Curran was the most lethal bowler for CSK as he scalped three wickets and conceded just 19 runs. CSK bowlers managed to restrict RCB to 145 runs by the end of innings.&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, were off to a promising start as the opening pair put up a 46-run partnership. The 67-run stand between Gaikwad and Rayudu landed a fatal blow to RCB. Gaikwad became the fourth-youngest player to smash a half-century in IPL history. He scored 65 runs off 51 balls.&nbsp;

Despite this win, Chennai's chances to make it into playoffs are very grim, but still, they spoiled RCB's chances to finish on top 2 of the points table.&nbsp;

Royal Challengers has had a bad run when they don the green jersey. Out of the 10 matches played in this colour, RCB has lost 7 times and have won just twice (one match with no result).&nbsp;

Ruturaj Gaikwad was adjudged the Player of the Match for his match-winning knock.&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings stunned Royal Challengers Bangalore after beating them by 8 wickets 44th match of IPL 2020 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Chennai Super Kings stunned Royal Challengers Bangalore after beating them by 8 wickets 44th match of IPL 2020 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Royal Challengers won the toss and chose to bat. Bangalore was off to a poor start as they lost both openers within seven overs. However, the 82-run partnership between skipper Kohli and de Villiers stabilised RCB innings. Virat Kohli scored the most runs (50 runs off 43 balls) for the team. Sam Curran was the most lethal bowler for CSK as he scalped three wickets and conceded just 19 runs. CSK bowlers managed to restrict RCB to 145 runs by the end of innings. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, were off to a promising start as the opening pair put up a 46-run partnership. The 67-run stand between Gaikwad and Rayudu landed a fatal blow to RCB. Gaikwad became the fourth-youngest player to smash a half-century in IPL history. He scored 65 runs off 51 balls. Despite this win, Chennai's chances to make it into playoffs are very grim, but still, they spoiled RCB's chances to finish on top 2 of the points table. Royal Challengers has had a bad run when they don the green jersey. Out of the 10 matches played in this colour, RCB has lost 7 times and have won just twice (one match with no result). Ruturaj Gaikwad was adjudged the Player of the Match for his match-winning knock.

IPL 2020: Chennai Super Kings thrash Royal Challengers Bangalore by 8 wickets

Three-time Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings will be forced into major changes after a humiliating defeat to their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians, their veteran captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.

Dhoni's team suffered a crushing 10-wicket loss in Friday's clash that is widely considered Indian cricket's El Clasico drawing a huge TV audience.

Mumbai and Chennai, both huge spenders on international stars, are now at opposite ends of the eight team table. Mumbai are strong candidates for a fifth title while Dhoni's side are virtually certain to miss the playoffs. And he admitted after an eighth defeat in 11 games that this "hurt".

Chennai could manage only 114 for nine, a total four-time champions Mumbai chased down in 12.2 overs without losing a wicket.

"Whenever you're not doing well, there can be a hundred reasons, but one of the main things you ask yourself is whether you've played to the potential you've got, no matter the conditions," Dhoni said.

"And this year we haven't. Cumulatively there have been batting failures."

Chennai have been dubbed "Dad's Army" by the media because of their use of over-35 players including Dhoni, Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis. That will now change.

<h2>Rusty Dhoni&nbsp;</h2>

Dhoni, 39, who retired from international cricket in August, said young players will be blooded for the remaining three games.

"I think it's important for us to have a clear picture of next year. There are lots of ifs and buts -- the auction, where the venues will be. The coming three games will be an ideal opportunity to give platforms," said Dhoni.

"See some of the youngsters in preparation for next year, see who will bat and who bowls at the death and soaks the pressure. A few more who are on the bench will get games in the coming three games."

Watson was dropped for the Mumbai game but South African Imran Tahir, 41, played his first match of the season.

"We had a problem of balance all the way through" with the spin bowling "ineffective", said coach Stephen Fleming explaining the introduction of the IPL's oldest player.

"We have got to find a way to win the next three games and give guys opportunities to press case for retention next year or for opportunities for other teams."

Dhoni, once of the game's best finishers but who took more than a year off after India's elimination from the World Cup, has been slammed for his go-slow approach this season.

Chennai "are looking like an ageing boxer in the ring against younger fighters who are throwing more punches than he can handle," veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle wrote on Twitter.

"In my opinion, the break from the World Cup in 2019 to this IPL allowed some rustiness to creep in," former India captain Kris Srikkanth wrote in The Times of India newspaper, calling for the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman to go back to his traditional "fearless and attacking" tactics.

Three-time Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings will be forced into major changes after a humiliating defeat to their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians, their veteran captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.

Three-time Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings will be forced into major changes after a humiliating defeat to their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians, their veteran captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. Dhoni's team suffered a crushing 10-wicket loss in Friday's clash that is widely considered Indian cricket's El Clasico drawing a huge TV audience. Mumbai and Chennai, both huge spenders on international stars, are now at opposite ends of the eight team table. Mumbai are strong candidates for a fifth title while Dhoni's side are virtually certain to miss the playoffs. And he admitted after an eighth defeat in 11 games that this "hurt". Chennai could manage only 114 for nine, a total four-time champions Mumbai chased down in 12.2 overs without losing a wicket. "Whenever you're not doing well, there can be a hundred reasons, but one of the main things you ask yourself is whether you've played to the potential you've got, no matter the conditions," Dhoni said. "And this year we haven't. Cumulatively there have been batting failures." Chennai have been dubbed "Dad's Army" by the media because of their use of over-35 players including Dhoni, Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis. That will now change. Rusty Dhoni Dhoni, 39, who retired from international cricket in August, said young players will be blooded for the remaining three games. "I think it's important for us to have a clear picture of next year. There are lots of ifs and buts -- the auction, where the venues will be. The coming three games will be an ideal opportunity to give platforms," said Dhoni. "See some of the youngsters in preparation for next year, see who will bat and who bowls at the death and soaks the pressure. A few more who are on the bench will get games in the coming three games." Watson was dropped for the Mumbai game but South African Imran Tahir, 41, played his first match of the season. "We had a problem of balance all the way through" with the spin bowling "ineffective", said coach Stephen Fleming explaining the introduction of the IPL's oldest player. "We have got to find a way to win the next three games and give guys opportunities to press case for retention next year or for opportunities for other teams." Dhoni, once of the game's best finishers but who took more than a year off after India's elimination from the World Cup, has been slammed for his go-slow approach this season. Chennai "are looking like an ageing boxer in the ring against younger fighters who are throwing more punches than he can handle," veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle wrote on Twitter. "In my opinion, the break from the World Cup in 2019 to this IPL allowed some rustiness to creep in," former India captain Kris Srikkanth wrote in The Times of India newspaper, calling for the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman to go back to his traditional "fearless and attacking" tactics.

CSK's MS Dhoni vows changes after season of IPL 'failures'

Former New Zealand and Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Scott Styris has said that he doesn’t see MS Dhoni’s side quality to the playoffs of the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020</a> given their current position in the points table and miserable form.

CSK are lying bottom of IPL 2020 points table but are still ‘mathematically’ in the competition. CSK’s experience have come handy for them almost in every season but Styris is of the view that the ageing squad was supposed to end their cycle one day and it happened this season.

Super Kings have won just three matches of their 10 games so far and have been playing without Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, who opted out of the tournament due to personal reasons. Moreover, injuries have hurt CSK really bad this season.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-this-is-as-good-as-manish-pandey-has-ever-played-opines-harsha-bhogle-337360" hreflang="en">This is as good as Manish Pandey has ever played: Harsha Bhogle</a>

"Short answer and it hurts me to say this, I don't think so. I think they are the one side who are out of this tournament right now," Scott Styris told Star Sports when asked about CSK's chances.

"You could tell by Stephen Fleming's press conference last match. He believes the life cycle of this team is gone. We have been talking about it for 3 years, an ageing, old team. When that is the case, the performances, at some stage, were supposed to fall off the cliff as age catches up. I think this year is the year.

"I think they did well to get as far as they did last year. But there are so many match-winners in that CSK side who are a little bit older or not quite finding form. I can't see them turning it around. Apart from Faf du Plessis, with his consistent performances, and Deepak Chahar, there are not much else."

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CSK will face the likes of Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab in their remaining matches.

Super Kings will next take on rivals Mumbai Indians in Sharjah on Friday. 
&nbsp;

Former New Zealand and Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Scott Styris has said that he doesn’t see MS Dhoni’s side quality to the playoffs of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 given their current position in the points table and miserable form.

Former New Zealand and Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Scott Styris has said that he doesn’t see MS Dhoni’s side quality to the playoffs of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 given their current position in the points table and miserable form. CSK are lying bottom of IPL 2020 points table but are still ‘mathematically’ in the competition. CSK’s experience have come handy for them almost in every season but Styris is of the view that the ageing squad was supposed to end their cycle one day and it happened this season. Super Kings have won just three matches of their 10 games so far and have been playing without Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, who opted out of the tournament due to personal reasons. Moreover, injuries have hurt CSK really bad this season. ALSO READ: This is as good as Manish Pandey has ever played: Harsha Bhogle "Short answer and it hurts me to say this, I don't think so. I think they are the one side who are out of this tournament right now," Scott Styris told Star Sports when asked about CSK's chances. "You could tell by Stephen Fleming's press conference last match. He believes the life cycle of this team is gone. We have been talking about it for 3 years, an ageing, old team. When that is the case, the performances, at some stage, were supposed to fall off the cliff as age catches up. I think this year is the year. "I think they did well to get as far as they did last year. But there are so many match-winners in that CSK side who are a little bit older or not quite finding form. I can't see them turning it around. Apart from Faf du Plessis, with his consistent performances, and Deepak Chahar, there are not much else." IN PICS | From Maxwell to Cummins: Most expensive flops of IPL 2020! CSK will face the likes of Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab in their remaining matches. Super Kings will next take on rivals Mumbai Indians in Sharjah on Friday.

'It hurts me to say this...' - Scott Styris on Chennai Super Kings' hopes in IPL 2020

Big Bash League (BBL) franchises are looking to rope in the Indian trio of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. All three of Dhoni, Raina and Yuvraj have retired from international cricket with the former two still participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.&nbsp;

With BBL allowing three foreign players per team, all the franchises are eyeing Dhoni, Raina and Yuvraj to not only bolster their squads but also to gain massive popularity in India. However, they will have to get NOC from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) first.

According to a report in cricket.com.au, BBL is keen on adding some Indian firepower to their arsenal with Dhoni, Raina and Yuvraj leading the pecking order.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kapil-dev-suffers-heart-attack-undergoes-angioplasty-surgery-337402" hreflang="en">Kapil Dev suffers heart attack, undergoes angioplasty surgery</a>

The BCCI has clearly stated that it won’t allow their players to play in foreign leagues due to the exclusivity factor in IPL and domestic competitions. However, few players like Yuvraj, Manpreet Gony, Pravin Tambe among others have participated in overseas leagues after retiring from the BCCI. They are no more allowed to take part in Indian domestic tournaments including the IPL.

Notably, all three of Dhoni, Raina and Yuvraj will be free when BBL 2020-21 kicks off in December. Interestingly, in December 2016, Dhoni had said that he will see how the future goes after retirement as the quality of BBL demands a lot of physical fitness.&nbsp;

“We are quite focused on international cricket for now so I can’t really make any comment on that [BBL future]. We’ll see how the future goes. It depends on when I retire and whether I’m in a position to play international cricket. The Big Bash, the quality of cricket is high so a lot depends on the physical fitness and the will to carry on and play more cricket,” the Ranchi superstar had said. 
&nbsp;

Big Bash League (BBL) franchises are looking to rope in the Indian trio of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. All three of Dhoni, Raina and Yuvraj have retired from international cricket with the former two still participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.

Big Bash League (BBL) franchises are looking to rope in the Indian trio of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. All three of Dhoni, Raina and Yuvraj have retired from international cricket with the former two still participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. With BBL allowing three foreign players per team, all the franchises are eyeing Dhoni, Raina and Yuvraj to not only bolster their squads but also to gain massive popularity in India. However, they will have to get NOC from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) first. According to a report in cricket.com.au, BBL is keen on adding some Indian firepower to their arsenal with Dhoni, Raina and Yuvraj leading the pecking order. ALSO READ: Kapil Dev suffers heart attack, undergoes angioplasty surgery The BCCI has clearly stated that it won’t allow their players to play in foreign leagues due to the exclusivity factor in IPL and domestic competitions. However, few players like Yuvraj, Manpreet Gony, Pravin Tambe among others have participated in overseas leagues after retiring from the BCCI. They are no more allowed to take part in Indian domestic tournaments including the IPL. Notably, all three of Dhoni, Raina and Yuvraj will be free when BBL 2020-21 kicks off in December. Interestingly, in December 2016, Dhoni had said that he will see how the future goes after retirement as the quality of BBL demands a lot of physical fitness. “We are quite focused on international cricket for now so I can’t really make any comment on that [BBL future]. We’ll see how the future goes. It depends on when I retire and whether I’m in a position to play international cricket. The Big Bash, the quality of cricket is high so a lot depends on the physical fitness and the will to carry on and play more cricket,” the Ranchi superstar had said.

MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh in Big Bash League? Australian franchises eye Indian trio

Former Indian captain and selector Kris Srikkanth lashed out at CSK skipper MS Dhoni for his questionable calls as a captain in this year's Indian Premier League and slammed the choice of playing Kedar Jadhav despite his poor form.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/prized-possession-jos-buttler-poses-with-dhonis-jersey-after-downing-csk-336640" hreflang="en">'Prized possession': Jos Buttler poses with Dhoni's jersey after downing CSK</a>

Srikkanth responded to Dhoni's statement that the youngsters in the Chennai Super Kings squad did not show the spark needed to challenge the seniors and break into the playing XI.

“I will never accept what Dhoni is saying about this process,” Srikkanth told ‘Star Sports Tamil.

"This process he keeps talking about is meaningless. You keep talking about process, process... but the process of selection itself is wrong. What is Dhoni’s deal? He says (N) Jagadeesan (uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman) doesn’t have spark, but does ‘scooter’ Jadhav have that spark? This is ridiculous. I will not accept this answer today. All this talk of process, and Chennai’s tournament itself is over," he added.

Super Kings on Monday hit rock-bottom after they were beaten by Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets.&nbsp;

Srikkanth, who was the team mentor and brand ambassador of CSK in the inaugural edition of the IPL, also questioned Piyush Chawla’s selection.

"Dhoni now says that since the pressure is off, he’ll give the youngsters a chance. Come on, yaar. I don’t understand this rubbish about the process at all.

"Karn Sharma at least took wickets. Chawla simply goes through the motions of bowling, coming on when the game is already lost. There is no doubt Dhoni is great, but I cannot agree with him or accept this." Dhoni’s remarks, after the game, were met with severe criticism on social media.

"Fair enough, this season we weren’t really there," Dhoni said at the presentation ceremony.

"Also the youngsters, we didn’t see the spark to push the guys. But what this result has done is give those youngsters a chance in the rest of the tournament.

"Maybe going forward we bring them in and they play without pressure."

Former Indian captain and selector Kris Srikkanth lashed out at CSK skipper MS Dhoni for his questionable calls as a captain in this year's Indian Premier League and slammed the choice of playing Kedar Jadhav despite his poor form.

Former Indian captain and selector Kris Srikkanth lashed out at CSK skipper MS Dhoni for his questionable calls as a captain in this year's Indian Premier League and slammed the choice of playing Kedar Jadhav despite his poor form. Also read: 'Prized possession': Jos Buttler poses with Dhoni's jersey after downing CSK Srikkanth responded to Dhoni's statement that the youngsters in the Chennai Super Kings squad did not show the spark needed to challenge the seniors and break into the playing XI. “I will never accept what Dhoni is saying about this process,” Srikkanth told ‘Star Sports Tamil. "This process he keeps talking about is meaningless. You keep talking about process, process... but the process of selection itself is wrong. What is Dhoni’s deal? He says (N) Jagadeesan (uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman) doesn’t have spark, but does ‘scooter’ Jadhav have that spark? This is ridiculous. I will not accept this answer today. All this talk of process, and Chennai’s tournament itself is over," he added. Super Kings on Monday hit rock-bottom after they were beaten by Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets. Srikkanth, who was the team mentor and brand ambassador of CSK in the inaugural edition of the IPL, also questioned Piyush Chawla’s selection. "Dhoni now says that since the pressure is off, he’ll give the youngsters a chance. Come on, yaar. I don’t understand this rubbish about the process at all. "Karn Sharma at least took wickets. Chawla simply goes through the motions of bowling, coming on when the game is already lost. There is no doubt Dhoni is great, but I cannot agree with him or accept this." Dhoni’s remarks, after the game, were met with severe criticism on social media. "Fair enough, this season we weren’t really there," Dhoni said at the presentation ceremony. "Also the youngsters, we didn’t see the spark to push the guys. But what this result has done is give those youngsters a chance in the rest of the tournament. "Maybe going forward we bring them in and they play without pressure."

'What is Dhoni’s deal?': Kris Srikkanth slams CSK skipper for questionable decisions

English batsman Jos Buttler's half-century helped Rajasthan Royals clinch a win against Chennai Super Kings on Monday helping his side secure crucial two points to remain in the tournament.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-becomes-first-player-to-feature-in-200-ipl-matches-336462" hreflang="en">MS Dhoni becomes first player to feature in 200 IPL matches</a>

Buttler was adjudged as the 'Player of the Match' for his match-winning knock, however, he was later seen posing with a "prized possession" he got from former India captain MS Dhoni. Indian Premier League took to Twitter to share this photo and said: "Buttler all smiles with a prized possession."

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Buttler all smiles with a prized possession 😊😊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dream11IPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dream11IPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/FoUtHUofYw">pic.twitter.com/FoUtHUofYw</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1318249912144863232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The win against Chennai Super Kings at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi keeps Royals hope to secure a playoff spot. They have now moved to the fifth position on IPL's points table. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, will not be playing in the play-offs as they hit rock bottom in the tournament table after registering just three wins and conceding 7 losses.&nbsp;

Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday became the first player to feature in 200 Indian Premier League matches after he stepped onto the field for Chennai Super Kings’ match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.&nbsp;

Dhoni, who has been a regular face in IPL since its inception, has played for Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant while breaking several records in T20 cricket. The former Indian captain has helped Chennai Super Kings win three IPL trophies while being the only captain to take CSK to the playoffs in every season they have participated in the IPL so far.

However, his 200th outing in the league was not pleasant as he could just score 28 runs off 28 balls.&nbsp;

English batsman Jos Buttler's half-century helped Rajasthan Royals clinch a win against Chennai Super Kings on Monday helping his side secure crucial two points to remain in the tournament.

English batsman Jos Buttler's half-century helped Rajasthan Royals clinch a win against Chennai Super Kings on Monday helping his side secure crucial two points to remain in the tournament. Also read: MS Dhoni becomes first player to feature in 200 IPL matches Buttler was adjudged as the 'Player of the Match' for his match-winning knock, however, he was later seen posing with a "prized possession" he got from former India captain MS Dhoni. Indian Premier League took to Twitter to share this photo and said: "Buttler all smiles with a prized possession." Buttler all smiles with a prized possession 😊😊#Dream11IPL pic.twitter.com/FoUtHUofYw — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) October 19, 2020 × The win against Chennai Super Kings at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi keeps Royals hope to secure a playoff spot. They have now moved to the fifth position on IPL's points table. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, will not be playing in the play-offs as they hit rock bottom in the tournament table after registering just three wins and conceding 7 losses. Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday became the first player to feature in 200 Indian Premier League matches after he stepped onto the field for Chennai Super Kings’ match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Dhoni, who has been a regular face in IPL since its inception, has played for Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant while breaking several records in T20 cricket. The former Indian captain has helped Chennai Super Kings win three IPL trophies while being the only captain to take CSK to the playoffs in every season they have participated in the IPL so far. However, his 200th outing in the league was not pleasant as he could just score 28 runs off 28 balls.

'Prized possession': Jos Buttler poses with Dhoni's jersey after downing CSK

Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday became the first player to feature in 200 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">Indian Premier League</a> matches after he stepped onto the field for Chennai Super Kings’ match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.&nbsp;

Dhoni, who has been a regular face in IPL since its inception, has played for Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant while breaking several records in T20 cricket. The former Indian captain has helped Chennai Super Kings win three IPL trophies while being the only captain to take CSK to the playoffs in every season they have participated in the IPL so far.&nbsp;

"It's just a number. I have been fortunate to have played so many games," said Dhoni after reaching the iconic landmark in IPL.

<h2>Most matches in IPL:&nbsp;</h2>

MS Dhoni - 200

Rohit Sharma - 197

Suresh Raina - 192

The swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman has also accumulated 4568 runs in IPL while winning numerous matches with the willow for the Chennai outfit. He holds a stunning average of 41.52 with a highest score of 84 not-out.

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ipl-trivia-top-records-of-thala-ms-dhoni-in-the-tournament-328205" hreflang="en">IPL trivia: Top records of 'Thala' MS Dhoni in the tournament</a>

Dhoni, who announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020, has achieved everything in the world of cricket and the new milestone of 200 IPL appearances looks like a cherry on top of a trophy-laden career.&nbsp;

While Chennai Super Kings have had a topsy-turvy run in IPL 2020 so far, the players could take this achievement on board and find fresh motivation to give a final push in the second half of IPL 2020 as race for the playoffs takes new turn with every single match.

Even Dhoni himself will look to get back to form with the willow as he has been going through a cold run with the bat in IPL 2020.&nbsp; 
Regarded as arguably the greatest captain of all-time, Dhoni’s fresh achievement in the world of cricket is just one of those records which the veteran has achieved in his illustrious career. 
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Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday became the first player to feature in 200 Indian Premier League matches after he stepped onto the field for Chennai Super Kings’ match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday became the first player to feature in 200 Indian Premier League matches after he stepped onto the field for Chennai Super Kings’ match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Dhoni, who has been a regular face in IPL since its inception, has played for Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant while breaking several records in T20 cricket. The former Indian captain has helped Chennai Super Kings win three IPL trophies while being the only captain to take CSK to the playoffs in every season they have participated in the IPL so far. "It's just a number. I have been fortunate to have played so many games," said Dhoni after reaching the iconic landmark in IPL. Most matches in IPL: MS Dhoni - 200 Rohit Sharma - 197 Suresh Raina - 192 The swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman has also accumulated 4568 runs in IPL while winning numerous matches with the willow for the Chennai outfit. He holds a stunning average of 41.52 with a highest score of 84 not-out. IN PICS | IPL trivia: Top records of 'Thala' MS Dhoni in the tournament Dhoni, who announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020, has achieved everything in the world of cricket and the new milestone of 200 IPL appearances looks like a cherry on top of a trophy-laden career. While Chennai Super Kings have had a topsy-turvy run in IPL 2020 so far, the players could take this achievement on board and find fresh motivation to give a final push in the second half of IPL 2020 as race for the playoffs takes new turn with every single match. Even Dhoni himself will look to get back to form with the willow as he has been going through a cold run with the bat in IPL 2020. Regarded as arguably the greatest captain of all-time, Dhoni’s fresh achievement in the world of cricket is just one of those records which the veteran has achieved in his illustrious career.

MS Dhoni becomes first player to feature in 200 IPL matches

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni Tuesday hailed Sam Curran as a "complete cricketer" for Chennai Super Kings after the England all-rounder played a key part in the team's much-needed IPL win.

The 22-year-old Curran hit 31 after opening the batting and then returned figures of 1-18 from his three overs of left-arm pace bowling as Chennai bounced back from two losses to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 20 runs in Dubai.

Curran, a left-hand batsman who was brought by Chennai for $742,000, gave the team a brisk start in his 21-ball knock before Shane Watson, who scored 42 coming one down, and Ambati Rayudu (41) guided the team to 167 for six.

Curran then shared the new ball with Deepak Chahar to breakthrough with the big wicket of skipper David Warner, caught and bowled for nine, as Hyderabad managed just 147-8.

"Curran is a complete cricketer for us and you need that seaming allrounder. He strikes the ball nicely, he can bat up the order, he plays spinners well," Dhoni said of his team's youngest member.

"He can give us those 15-45 runs if you need momentum. I feel as the tournament progresses, he'll get even more comfortable with death bowling. That's one of the reasons we kept him away at the death."

Dwayne Bravo bowled the final over of the match and returned figures of 2-25 as Chennai moved level with Hyderabad on six points from eight games in a tough first half of the Twenty20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates.

Curran, younger brother of Tom Curran who plays for Rajasthan Royals, has proved his worth for three-time IPL winners Chennai while batting in the top, middle and lower order.

"In terms of his contribution so far it has exceeded, I think, what we wanted. Probably not in his eyes because he is very competitive," Chennai coach Stephen Fleming told reporters in the post-match virtual chat.

"Every time he has had the challenge he has risen to it. He has been desperate to make a difference and I think we saw a glimpse today of what he can do for us in the future."

Ravindra Jadeja also contributed with an unbeaten 25 off 10 balls and returned to take the key wicket of England's Jonny Bairstow, bowled for 23, with his left-arm spin.

"This was one game as close to perfect as possible. One or two overs we could have been slightly better, but it was a very good game," said Dhoni.

New Zealand's Kane Williamson struck 57 off 39 deliveries but his first half-century of the season went in vain as Hyderabad kept losing wickets.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni Tuesday hailed Sam Curran as a "complete cricketer" for Chennai Super Kings after the England all-rounder played a key part in the team's much-needed IPL win.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni Tuesday hailed Sam Curran as a "complete cricketer" for Chennai Super Kings after the England all-rounder played a key part in the team's much-needed IPL win. The 22-year-old Curran hit 31 after opening the batting and then returned figures of 1-18 from his three overs of left-arm pace bowling as Chennai bounced back from two losses to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 20 runs in Dubai. Curran, a left-hand batsman who was brought by Chennai for $742,000, gave the team a brisk start in his 21-ball knock before Shane Watson, who scored 42 coming one down, and Ambati Rayudu (41) guided the team to 167 for six. Curran then shared the new ball with Deepak Chahar to breakthrough with the big wicket of skipper David Warner, caught and bowled for nine, as Hyderabad managed just 147-8. "Curran is a complete cricketer for us and you need that seaming allrounder. He strikes the ball nicely, he can bat up the order, he plays spinners well," Dhoni said of his team's youngest member. "He can give us those 15-45 runs if you need momentum. I feel as the tournament progresses, he'll get even more comfortable with death bowling. That's one of the reasons we kept him away at the death." Dwayne Bravo bowled the final over of the match and returned figures of 2-25 as Chennai moved level with Hyderabad on six points from eight games in a tough first half of the Twenty20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates. Curran, younger brother of Tom Curran who plays for Rajasthan Royals, has proved his worth for three-time IPL winners Chennai while batting in the top, middle and lower order. "In terms of his contribution so far it has exceeded, I think, what we wanted. Probably not in his eyes because he is very competitive," Chennai coach Stephen Fleming told reporters in the post-match virtual chat. "Every time he has had the challenge he has risen to it. He has been desperate to make a difference and I think we saw a glimpse today of what he can do for us in the future." Ravindra Jadeja also contributed with an unbeaten 25 off 10 balls and returned to take the key wicket of England's Jonny Bairstow, bowled for 23, with his left-arm spin. "This was one game as close to perfect as possible. One or two overs we could have been slightly better, but it was a very good game," said Dhoni. New Zealand's Kane Williamson struck 57 off 39 deliveries but his first half-century of the season went in vain as Hyderabad kept losing wickets.

Dhoni hails Curran as a 'complete cricketer' after key IPL win

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