IPL 2021: MS Dhoni hugs Ranveer Singh during friendly football match, watch video

One of MS Dhoni’s biggest passion aside from cricket has to be football. The former India captain would have definitely been an ace footballer if he didn’t choose to pick wicketkeeping gloves. Now, retired from the international game, the Chennai Super Kings skipper is exploring this interest during his free time with the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 suspended due to rising COVID-19 cases in India.

Dhoni was seen on the football pitch with the likes of Bollywood star Ranveer Singh in a friendly game over the weekend. On Sunday (July 25), Ranveer was seen enjoying a game of football with MS Dhoni. Both Ranveer and Dhoni have been an integral part of the All-Stars Football Club.

The Mumbai-based All Stars Football Club conducts friendly matches between celebrities to generate funds for charity. In one of the recent practice sessions at the All-Stars Football Club in Mumbai, Bollywood star and husband of Deepika Padukone, Ranveer, joined forces with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Dhoni for a game of football. Ranveer and Dhoni were all smiles as star celebrities graced the pitch together for an intense practice session.

Donning an all-black attire, Ranveer was seen giving Dhoni a tight hug during the practice match contested between the two celeb teams in Mumbai. In the friendly match, the Bollywood actor was seen sharing a light-hearted moment with the former Team India skipper. In the video shared on Instagram, Indian batsman Shreyas Iyer was also seen joining Dhoni for the football session in Mumbai.  

Meanwhile, Dhoni is set to return to competitive cricket with CSK in the second leg of the IPL 2021 gets underway in September. The remainder of the IPL 2021 will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that the IPL 2021 will resume in the UAE from September 19. The BCCI has confirmed that a total number of 31 IPL 2021 matches will be played in the duration of 27 days. Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) led by Rohit Sharma will meet Dhoni’s CSK, who are currently second on the points table, in the second-leg opener. The IPL 2021 final will be held in Dubai on October 15.