The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Corporate Trophy tournament to be played at four venues — Pune, Nagpur, Indore and Raipur — is expected to be a low-key affair with Indian stars likely to skip the event, says a report in The Indian Express, adding that for starters, India Cements will be without Indian captain MS Dhoni, who moved from Indian Airlines to a company where BCCI chief N Srinivasan is managing director, a few months ago.
“Dhoni had been included in the squad of India Cements for the Corporate Trophy, but will be taking a break before the Australia Test series. Dhoni had already stated post the fifth ODI against England in Dharmsala that he would like to make the most of the break before start of the Australia series. Meanwhile, Indian Oil will be without Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma. Ajinkya Rahane will be playing the first couple of games before flying back to join his team Mumbai. The Indian board has asked all Irani Cup players to report to Mumbai on February 4, two days before Mumbai takes on Rest of India at the Wankhede Stadium. Which means most players will be part of only a few games before flying to Mumbai,” says the report.
According to a report in The Times Of India, M S Dhoni, who was in Chennai for an event, revealed that he spends more time on the field than the gym. "From the time I made it to the national team, I've always made it clear that I'd like to spend more time on the field than the gym. I'll take catches, work out — all on the field — and once I'm off it, I'd like to relax. That's why I never used to spend a lot of time in the gym, like many other players in the team. There might be physios and trainers helping you out but I know my body well and have to manage it accordingly," said the cricketer.
On the question of diet, which many feel is key to a sportsperson's growth, he said, "I don't always eat healthy food. I'm the sort of person who eats what he wants to."
Meanwhile according to another report in TOI, Dhoni's rise from small-town obscurity to India skipper has been well documented, but it's something he feels can at times be misleading. "People think that the standard and the structure of cricket is not great in the smaller cities and towns but that wasn't the case for me growing up in Ranchi. We had decent division teams, including the institutional teams and when companies offer jobs for players it helps," he explained at a promotional event in the city.
Coming from a smaller city, however, helped toughen him up. "It's a bit tough when you come up from a smaller city. You have to make the best of what you have and that toughens you up as a player. I don't think it's as tough these days with the amount of cricket being played and the reach of the game."