‘Dhoni will spend a lot more time with Territorial Army now’
Team Udayavani, Aug 16, 2020, 5:21 PM IST
New Delhi: Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be spending a lot more time with the Territorial Army now that he has retired, said friend and business partner Arun Pandey on Sunday, rejecting talk of his brand value going down due to the decision.
Pandey saw the retirement announcement coming after this year’s T20 World Cup, which was postponed to 2022 last month, but only Dhoni knew that it would come on Independence Day.
“I was aware that he would do it soon but did not know the exact timing. Anyway it was for him to decide. He had started IPL preparations but it was postponed and then the T20 World Cup was postponed, he thought to be mentally free,” Pandey told PTI day after Dhoni’s unexpected announcement on Saturday.
“And since August 15 is a special day for the Army, he must have thought on those lines. The T20 World Cup postponement was surely a factor as he planned for it,” he said.
Dhoni holds the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. Following the 2019 World Cup semifinal loss, he trained with the Parachute Regiment for more than a month.
“One thing is for sure, he will be spending more time with the Army. He will also give time to his commercial ventures and other commitments. We will sit down soon and decide the way forward.”
In most cases, the brand value of an athlete goes down after retirement but Pandey insists it won”t happen to Dhoni.
“Since the World Cup (in July 2019), we have signed up with 10 new brands and it is a long-term thing. It will keep on increasing as Dhoni is not just about cricket, he is a youth icon.
“In most cases retirement does have an impact but not when it comes to Dhoni. His achievements are not individual, his achievements are for the team and for the coutnry,” said Pandey.
Pandey added that Dhoni will play the IPL for another two or three seasons.
“He will play for at least couple of years, if not more. He will be more mentally free now that he is retired. The T20 World Cup postponement was definitely a factor in his retirement.”
The mega event, which was to take place in Australia in October-November, was moved to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. India have the hosting rights for the 2021 edition.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Satwik-Chirag enter semifinals, Lakshya loses to Antonsen in China Masters
Sony India bags ACC media rights for eight years
BGT Day 1: Bumrah leads India’s spectacular bowling comeback after batting no-show
India crawl to 51 for 4 after losing top-order
Mohammed Shami ridicules Sanjay Manjrekar over comments on reduced IPL value
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Air pollution: SC flags Delhi govt’s failure to implement GRAP-4 curbs on entry of trucks
Drugs worth Rs 6 crore seized in Bengaluru, five arrested
Siddaramaiah urges Nirmala Sitharaman to address NABARD’s loan cuts to farmers
Satwik-Chirag enter semifinals, Lakshya loses to Antonsen in China Masters
BJP stages protest against Congress govt in Karnataka over Waqf properties row
Thanks for visiting Udayavani
You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.