MS Dhoni likes to keep life simple. Unlike other Indian cricketing stars, the two-time World Cup-winning former captain rarely uses social media and has distanced himself from commentary gigs, expert interviews, etc. Instead, the 43-year old from Ranchi prefers to spend more time with family, parents, friends and pets.
Having played his last international game in 2019 during the ODI World Cup in England, Dhoni announced retirement a year later. Since then, Dhoni – the only captain to win three ICC trophies till date – has been a regular for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He even led CSK to their fifth IPL title in 2023 before passing on the baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad in the previous season.
Although Dhoni does make public appearances all through the year gets into hard training before every IPL, a question always pops up in every Dhoni fan’s mind about how does the former Indian captain plans his year.
In a recent promotional interview, Dhoni was asked about how he spends time when he is off from cricket. “When I am off, I am off. I don’t think much about cricket as I only play IPL. It’s slightly tough in the sense that I have to keep myself fit for nine months so that two and half months of IPL,” Dhoni said.
“You need to plan it out but at the same time, I chill a bit. I have played international cricket for so long, so you want to spend time with your family and parents. I have a lot of pets, so I get a chance to play with them,” added Dhoni, who is the only captain other than Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma to win the IPL five times.
Keeping fit for a whole year when not playing regular cricket is tough for any individual. But Dhoni knows how to go about it. “I have kept it very simple. I will train for 15 to 20 days or maybe 25 days and then I take off for 15-20 days. So it really helps me grow. I can enjoy the food when I am off. And once I start training, I follow a good diet. So that’s what keeps me busy,” he said.
Does Dhoni watch cricket matches nowadays? The answer is yes. “I have been watching a lot of cricket. When I used to play, I used to watch less but now since I am not playing international cricket, every time there is a game, I love to sit and watch,” he added.
