MS Dhoni to spend more time with Indian Army, says longtime friend Arun Pandey

Mahendra Singh Dhoni will spend a lot more time with the Territorial Army now that he has retired, according to his longtime friend and business partner, Arun Pandey. Dhoni will be spending more time with the Territorial Army but will also focus on his commercial ventures and other commitments.

In most cases, an athlete's brand value takes a toss after retirement but that won't happen to Captain Cool, according to Pandey. Following the World Cup in July 2019, Dhoni had signed up with 10 new brands and this is a long-term thing. He also said that Dhoni's achievements are not individual in nature and are for the team and the country.

 "I was aware that he would do it soon but did not know the exact timing. Anyway, it was for him to decide. He had started IPL preparations but it was postponed and then the T20 World Cup was postponed, he thought to be mentally free," Pandey said.

He further added that since August 15 is a special day for the Armed Forces, Dhoni must have thought on those lines but the postponement of T20 was surely a factor behind his decision. MS Dhoni holds the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. After the 2019 World Cup semifinal loss, he trained with the Parachute Regiment for more than a month.

Dhoni will play the IPL for another two or three seasons, if not more.

(Edited with PTI inputs)

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