India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has revealed that MS Dhoni looked in supreme touch during the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) preparatory camp ahead of 2020 IPL, whose future still hangs in doldrum. The 31-year-old former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player added that MS Dhoni would often send the ball into the stands during the practice sessions.

Piyush Chawla, who was bought by CSK at a staggering price Rs 6.75 crore in December 2019 auction, said that by the look of Dhoni’s batting style in the camp it appeared as if he was “doing some training in Ranchi”. According to Piyush Chawla, the former India captain was showing no signs of rustiness at all.

“Honestly speaking, if any cricketers comes after a long break, he will be rusty, but I am sure, he (MSD) was doing some training in Ranchi because when he came to CSK camp, he didn’t look rusty at all. He will defend for 5-6 balls in the nets and then smack each and every ball for a six,” Piyush Chawla told former cricketer Aakash Chopra.

Piyush Chawla further revealed that the drills during the camp were intense. Chawla said that MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu and Murali Vijay used to play 200-250 balls during a single session.

“He was batting for long sessions. There were limited people at the camp, with many of them being bowlers. Every batsman was playing for 2-2.5 hours at a stretch, they must have been playing 200-250 balls per batsman.”

Cricketer-turned-commentator also enquired Piyush Chawla about who his favourite captain was. Piyush Chawla talked very highly of both, Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni. Piyush Chawla asserted that Gautam Gambhir was the best of example of a captain “leading from the front”. He said that Gambhir backed his players and leave it up to them to take the decisions.

Though, Piyush Chawla picked MS Dhoni as his favourite captain before stating that it was impossible to compare two captains.

“Best I would still say Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni). You can’t really compare two captains, to be honest as everyone has a different way of looking at it. Sometimes Gauti Bhai used to say that you can do a thing this way…it might happen. On the other hand, if you say Dhoni also, he also leaves it to you.

“So you can’t really compare. There are a few common things in them. They would leave it upon you as a bowler. If that doesn’t work out, then they will shift to plan B,” Piyush Chawla concluded.