MS Dhoni, the former Indian captain, attended the second Twenty20 International between India and England at Edgbaston in Birmingham. He paid a surprise visit to greet the players in the dressing room following India's win over England.
Dhoni landed in the United Kingdom earlier this week and celebrated his birthday. He and his friends were spotted among the Wimbledon audience as they cheered on their favourite tennis players before heading to Edgbaston to watch the Indian squad compete.
Dhoni has been out of international cricket for the past two years, but he hopes to pass on his experience to the next generation. Dhoni is frequently seen socialising with young players from opposing teams following the Chennai Super Kings' IPL games. He interacted with the Indian team's younger players during his visit to Birmingham.
After India's resounding victory, Dhoni was seen chatting with Ishan Kishan and the other members of India's support staff in a sequence of photographs published by the BCCI. Kishan, a fellow wicketkeeper from Jharkhand, paid attention as the expert strategist shared his knowledge.
Rishabh Pant, a former teammate, also had the opportunity to speak with Dhoni. The two posed for a photo at Edgbaston Stadium during their visit.
Pant made an unbeaten century in the postponed fifth Test against England at Edgbaston, his fifth of the series. His 89th delivery of the innings brought him a century, extending his impressive form in the game's longest format.
Pant hit 15 fours and one six during entertaining innings at Edgbaston, reaching three figures in the 58th over. Pant's third Test century, his first against England, came in only his third Test match at The Oval in 2018. Pant broke the three-figure mark against England in Ahmedabad last year, scoring 101 off 118 deliveries.
With this innings, Pant beat Dhoni's 17-year-old record for the fastest century by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter. Dhoni accomplished the feat in 2005 during a Test against Pakistan when he hit the century mark in 93 deliveries.
Last year, the BCCI chose MS Dhoni as a mentor for the ICC T20 World Cup. Dhoni did not charge a single penny for his services and worked on a volunteer basis, and it is possible for BCCI to ask him to do the same position for the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia this year.
The following season of the Indian Premier League is not until 2023, but Dhoni has already confirmed that he would play for the Chennai Super Kings in that season. In the meantime, the Indian squad will compete in several matches, the latest of which will take place against England at Trent Bridge on July 10.
Regarding the game, India won by 49 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. Ravindra Jadeja led the way with an unbeaten 46, while Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma made brief appearances. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah shone with the ball as England were bowled out for 121, handing India the series victory.
