Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) secretary Shahbaz Nadeem has revealed how MS Dhoni played a key behind-the-scenes role in helping Jharkhand win the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for the first time in their history.
The Ishan Kishan-led Jharkhand team won 10 of the 11 matches they played in the tournament. This was Jharkhand’s first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title and their second limited-overs title after lifting the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2010–11 season.
Before the start of the season, Ratan Kumar was appointed head coach, while Sunny Gupta was named bowling coach. According to Nadeem, Dhoni is keen to help Jharkhand cricket improve through his inputs and also played an important role in the appointment of the coaching staff.
“When we started the season, right from the appointment of the coaching staff, we have always taken his [Dhoni’s] advice and suggestions,” Nadeem was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. “He also has a keen interest in the Jharkhand team and wants them to do well. It feels good that such a big player is paying close attention to our team.”
While he did not travel with the side, Dhoni followed all of Jharkhand’s matches closely and remained in touch with the team.
“I’ll tell you something, he follows every game very closely. He followed the entire Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, noted the strengths and weaknesses of the players and discussed them with us. He knows the stats and numbers of each domestic player from Jharkhand. He is very interested in helping Jharkhand cricket grow,” Nadeem added.
After a successful run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Jharkhand have begun their Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign with a win and will be looking to add another title to their tally.
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