Dhoni uses time off from cricket to play football, badminton

MS Dhoni, cooling off for nearly a month in his hometown, was back to his ‘professional’ ways, playing a full 90-minute football match with players of the Silli Football Academy at Silli Stadium near Ranchi.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s passion for football is well known. Much before he donned the cricket gear, his love for the game saw him stand under the bar, frustrating many a forward. His stance behind the stumps is an offshoot of his skills in the football ground.

Indian-ODI-captain-Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-plays-a-football-game-in-Ranchi-Parwaz-Khan-HT-Photo

The Indian ODI skipper, cooling off for nearly a month in his hometown, was back to his ‘professional’ ways, playing a full 90-minute football match with players of the Silli Football Academy at Silli Stadium near Ranchi.

While Dhoni has been following a dedicated regimen to stay fit, playing badminton and exercising in the gym, he could not resist the temptation when he got an invite from his old friend Sudesh, himself a footballer.

"I was testing my endurance after a month," said Dhoni, who played on the left flank and scored a superb goal, suffering a few bruises in the process.

Conversation then veered towards a biopic being made on him but the skipper said he wasn’t getting much involved in it. "I have been taking complete rest, spending time with the family for the last one month," he said.