Indian bowler Ishant Sharma opened up on his relationship with former captain MS Dhoni.
Indian pacer Ishant Sharma opened up on his relationship with former captain MS Dhoni, stating that he had limited interaction with him before 2013. Ishant has been one of the mainstays in the Indian Test squad and remained a part of the limited-overs sides till 2016. While he made his debut under Rahul Dravid's captaincy in 2007, his arrival at the international scene co-incided with Dhoni taking over the reign as captain
Ishant said that Dhoni remains approachable to everyone in the squad and one can learn a lot from him.
"Initially, my interaction with MS Dhoni was limited, but after 2013, I started talking to him and understanding him," Ishant said on the Star Sports show Cricket Connected.
"Then I got to know how cool he is and how nicely he talks to the youngsters and treats them. He is same on the field, he has never asked us to not visit him in his room. You can ask (Mohammed) Shami, he goes to his room the most! He has always been like this, and it's a different moment to enjoy with him when you can learn a lot of things from him, about cricket or life."
Dhoni's last appearance in competitive cricket came in the 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand. The wicketkeeper-batsman has since made himself unavailable for selection for the national team. He was set to make a comeback to cricket during the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League but the tournament remains suspended due to coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier, Ishant Sharma returned to training after more than three months of hiatus due to the pandemic and shared a picture from the session. His fellow Test teammate Cheteshwar Pujara also returned to training last month. Both the players are expected to play a key role in the four-match Test series Down Under, which is scheduled to start in November later this year.
