MS Dhoni 'outstanding', I was the first one to spot his talent in Ranchi: Surinder Khanna

Former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni is one of the most decorated cricketers of all time. The Ranchi-born batsman made his international debut in December 2004 and soon established himself as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in all formats. As a captain, MS Dhoni is the only cricketer in the world to lead his side to glory in all ICC events. Quite recently, former Indian wicketkeeper Surinder Khanna lavished praised on the veteran cricketer and claimed that he was the one who first spotted MS Dhoni’s talents.

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“MS Dhoni should not curb his natural style” – Surinder Khanna

Former Indian cricketer Surinder Khanna played 10 ODIs for India between 1979 and 1984. In a recent interview with CricketAddictor, he said that he was the one who first spotted a young MS Dhoni during the Steel Authority talent trials in Ranchi. He also stated that it does not matter whether the 2011 World Cup-winning captain will acknowledge him or not.

The claim comes as a surprise since Surinder Khanna was not shown or mentioned anywhere in the famous 2016 biopic on the cricketer MS Dhoni: The Untold Story in which the late Sushant Singh Rajput played the iconic cricketer's role to near perfection. Although there were scenes throwing light upon Dhoni's trials and tribulations with getting selected at each level, Khanna's recent revelation was not depicted, making the CSK captain's story more interesting.

Dhoni's first and childhood coach Keshab Banerjee and one of the most influential East Zone cricket members in the early 2000s, Debal Sahay were shown extensively in the film.

Talking about MS Dhoni’s batting and wicketkeeping abilities, Khanna believed that MS Dhoni should not curb his natural style because he has already been “outstanding” with it for a long time at the highest level. According to the former cricketer, the 39-year-old has done a “commendable” job for India in wicketkeeping and has always delivered as a batsman by scoring runs. Even though he praised MS Dhoni’s natural style, he said that his already illustrious career would have had more grace if he had been a “copybook” player.

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IPL 2020: MS Dhoni in CSK

MS Dhoni has been on a sabbatical break from international cricket since July 2019. He is now expected to make a return to top-flight cricket through the impending Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) season. During the IPL 2020 trading and transfer window, MS Dhoni became one of the 20 cricketers to be retained by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The right-handed batsman was retained for Rs.15 crore (US$2 million) by the franchise. MS Dhoni, who made his CSK debut in the inaugural 2008 edition, has led them to three IPL titles. Under his leadership, CSK lifted the coveted trophy in 2010, 2011 and 2018 editions.

How much is MS Dhoni net worth?

According to caknowledge.com, the MS Dhoni net worth figure is estimated to be Rs.760 crore (US$101 million) as of March 2020. His net worth figure comprises of his earnings from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as an active Indian cricket player. The aforementioned MS Dhoni net worth also comprises of his salary from participating in IPL for CSK.

Additionally, MS Dhoni earns money through his numerous endorsement deals and his various business ventures. The cricketer is the co-owner of a popular Hockey India League team Ranchi Rays. He also co-owns Chennaiyin FC, a football club from Indian Super League. Additionally, the esteemed wicketkeeper-batsman is associated in brand endorsement deals with Orient Electric, Snickers, Indigo Paints among several others.

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Disclaimer: The above MS Dhoni net worth information is sourced from various websites and media reports. The website does not guarantee a 100% accuracy of the MS Dhoni net worth figures.    

Image credit: BCCI Twitter