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To Chennai with love

India skipper MS Dhoni crash-lands Air India to join India Cements; is named in the BCCI chief’s team for the Corporate Trophy

Vijay Tagore

Posted On Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 08:29:35 AM

Mumbai: Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai links are increasing by the day. He has been the skipper of Chennai Super Kings for six years. Now he has become the skipper of India Cements too.

As is well known, both teams are owned by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N Srinivasan. Dhoni, it is learnt, joined the Indian Cements company a few months back. Insiders say, he has been taken as a vice-president. Rahul Dravid, one understands, holds a similar position.

BCCI president N Srinivasan and MS Dhoni during the inaugural ceremony of the stadium in Ranchi recently

That is a different story, though. In the Corporate Trophy tournament, starting on February 1, Dhoni, who had previously played for Air India, features prominently in the squad of India Cements, one of the 16 teams taking part in the 50-over tournament, named after former BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur.

An India Cements official confirmed to Mirror that Dhoni’s name figures in the team list. “We don’t know if he will play but he is our employee and is part of the squad,” a team official remarked.

The official went on to say that if Dhoni were to be available, he might lead the side as well. R Ashwin, otherwise, is the skipper. The team officials have no immediate information about the India skipper’s availability. Messages from this paper did not elicit a reply from him either.

The Chennai team will be based in Nagpur. Some of his former Air India teammates are apparently surprised to note that Dhoni has moved to Chennai but the team officials claim they are aware of the development.

“Dhoni is no longer with us. He resigned a few months back,” said team manager Dilip Pingey. Dhoni played for Air India in the first edition of the championship in 2009 when Air India were allowed to field two teams.

He had played under Harbhajan Singh then in the Air India Blue side. Interestingly enough, Dhoni has refused to take part in the Irani Trophy claiming he needed rest. “I will not be available for the Irani Cup, as of now.

We have some time before the Test series against Australia and I would like to make the most of it," Dhoni said on Sunday. The profile of the season-ending Irani clash between Ranji champions and Rest of India would have gone up if Dhoni had made himself available.

It would have been billed as a contest between Dhoni versus Tendulkar. Now, that is not going to happen. The question, now, is will he make himself available for the Corporate Trophy tournament for India Cements?

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