The TNPL 2023 kicked off on June 12 and as we are writing this article, 6 games have already been completed. People are enjoying the quality of cricket in TNPL 2023 and with so many international cricketers also featuring in this tournament. Players like R Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, etc are playing in this league. But fans would love to see the former Indian and current Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni in TNPL 2023. They would want MS Dhoni to play in this league as Mahi and Chennai has a different connection.
Today, we will talk about why MS Dhoni is not eligible to play in the TNPL tournament and why? We will also discuss some of his accolades for Chennai.
International players in TNPL 2023
So many international players like R Ashwin, Vijay Shankar, W Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, etc are playing in TNPL 2023. In the past as well, players like Murli Vijay, Dinesh Karthik, etc played in this league.
Why MS Dhoni is not playing in TNPL 2023?
As R Ashwin is playing in this league, and he plays for Chennai Super Kings, people think that MS Dhoni should also play in Tamil Nadu-based T20 league, TNPL. But they don’t know that MS Dhoni is not even eligible to play in TNPL. The reason for that is he is an outstation player. Let’s discuss the outstation player first.
Outstation player – Explained?
An outstation player is defined as someone who is not actively participating in domestic cricket for the state where the league is taking place. To be eligible to play in the league of a specific state, the player must register with the respective state association where the league is being held. Once registered, the player is granted permission to participate in that particular state’s league.
For instance, a player cannot play in Tamil Nadu’s state league if they represent Mumbai, Saurashtra, or any other state in domestic cricket. And the same goes for vice-versa.
No outstation player in TNPL
In 2018, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) decided that no outstation player will be permitted to play in the TNPL. In 2018, a total of 16 outstation players including players like Unmukt Chand, and S Jackson registered for TNPL. But they could not feature in the league because of the outstation player rule.
A player will only be permitted to participate in the TNPL if he is currently playing domestic cricket for the TNCA. Just like Sandeep Warrier. Sandeep used to play for different states before. But now he is playing domestic cricket under TNCA, that’s why he is now playing in TNPL 2023.
Which state does MS Dhoni belong to?
MS Dhoni belongs to Bihar state and has played his domestic cricket for Jharkhand Cricket Association (JCA). That’s why he is not eligible to play in TNPL. So even if MSD wants to play, he is not allowed to play.
MS Dhoni has retired from international cricket in 2020 and only played in the IPL for CSK since then.
MS Dhoni’s achievement for Chennai
Although he is not allowed to play in TNPL, he has a strong connection with Chennai. He played IPL for a Chennai based franchise, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and achieved a lot for them over the years.
MS Dhoni captained CSK for 14 seasons and won 5 titles for them. It started in 2010 and then he went on to add the trophy cabinet for the franchise. He won an IPL trophy in 2011, 2018, 2021, and recently in 2023. Unfortunately, the involvement in spot fixing and betting led to the ban of CSK for two years (2016-17).
In IPL 2023 final, CSK defeated the last year’s IPL champions Gujarat Titans (GT). With this win, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma both have 5 trophies as IPL captains.
MS Dhoni also won the Champions League Trophy for CSK in 2010 and 2014.
Conclusion
Fans would love to see MS Dhoni playing in TNPL. But the rules and regulations made him not eligible to play in this league.
We might see him playing in IPL 2024. That is the only place where we can see MS Dhoni on the field. When Harsha Bhogle asked MS Dhoni about his retirement plans, MSD said he will access his fitness after 8-9 months, before the IPL 2024 auction.
Recently, he underwent knee surgery in Mumbai and recovering in his home in Ranchi. MS Dhoni last played his international game in ICC World Cup 2019 and retired in 2020.
What do you think? Will MS Dhoni play in IPL 2024? His fans would love to see him on the field. Even if he doesn’t bat up the order, his presence is enough for the fans.
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