Reportedly legendary Indian cricketer ms dhoni is currently on a break from the game during a stint with the Territorial Army as an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel. Meanwhile he started his Army duty on July 31 and was recently seen playing a game of volleyball with his colleagues, somewhere in Jammu and Kashmir. As per report Dhoni is sitting out india’s ongoing tour of the West Indies and there has been speculation he might retire after struggling in last month’s World Cup that saw india knocked out in the semi-finals.
Furthermore the wicket keeper-batsman who enjoys a cult status in cricket-mad india is part of the Territorial Army, a reservist force that draws on civilians who can do short stints to assist the military. Reportedly he will do a 15-day stint with the Victor Force engaged in counter-insurgency operations against militants fighting Indian rule in the country’s only Muslim-majority region of Kashmir.
Moreover he will be taking on the duties of patrolling, guard and post duty and would be staying with troops, the army said in a statement, adding that its headquarters had approved a schedule which incorporated Dhoni’s requests. Apparantly Dhoni has trained as a paratrooper and jumped from aircraft, an army official said, adding, this stint in Kashmir is part of his training. Perhaps making use of sports figures such as Dhoni, whose brand value is worth millions of dollars, helps the security forces raise their profile, particularly among young people who are their key pool of recruits.
