MS Dhoni declines state association's proposal to inaugurate ‘MS Dhoni Pavilion’ at JSCA Stadium

03/07/2019

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MS Dhoni has ‘humbly’ declined Jharkhand State Cricket Association’s proposal to inaugurate the newly-built MS Dhoni Pavilion at the JSCA Cricket Stadium, Ranchi. JSCA secretary Debasish Chakraborty has said that the wicketkeeper said no to the proposal as it will make him feel an outsider.

Former India skipper Dhoni is the most popular sportsperson from Jharkhand and the state cricket association has now given him a fitting tribute by naming the newly-constructed pavilion at the home of Jharkhand cricket after him. However, the JSCA secretary has revealed that the wicketkeeper didn’t want to feel as an outsider so declined the association’s proposal to inaugurate it ahead of the ODI against Australia to be played on Friday.

“When we proposed that, he simply said, ‘that would make me feel like an outsider in my home. Dhoni said that he is honoured by the gesture and we let the matter drop,” JSCA secretary Chakraborty told Hindustan Times.

Talking about Dhoni’s regular visits to the stadium complex, Chakraborty said that the cricketer spends most of his time at the stadium whenever he is the state capital. He even came to oversee the practice session of Jharkhand’s Ranji team in the past and spent around four hours and looked at the Yo-Yo Tests of the cricketers. According to the state secretary, it was Dhoni who suggested the association to get players ready to play on all kind of surfaces.

“It is on Dhoni’s suggestion that we have laid out nine pitches in the complex getting soil from Maharashtra and Odisha,” said state secretary.