Star cricketer MS Dhoni shed his keeper's gloves on Wednesday and played a full 90 minutes of match of football with players of the Silli Football Academy in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi.
The ODI captain is spending some much-needed time with his family and friends in his hometown, after being rested from the Indian cricket team's tour in Zimbabwe, which concluded recently.
On Wednesday, he got an invite from a old friend Sudesh, who lured Dhoni into the football stadium. On a different turf, Dhoni rocked as a forward on the left flank.
"I am testing my endurance after a month," said Dhoni, who scored a superb goal. In the process of netting the ball, he did bruise one of his knees but he did not discontinue playing.
Dhoni had earlier expressed his love for the world's most popular game and even conceded that he started playing football while he was in school -- before he shifted to cricket. He became the co-owner of Indian Super Leage team Chennaiyin FC in 2014.
Here's a look at the Indian skipper's love affair with football:
{{/usCountry}}Here's a look at the Indian skipper's love affair with football:
{{/usCountry}}(All photos by Parwaz Khan/HT)