Dhoni Wishes To Open Free Cricket Academy To Train Young Talent In Kashmir

Dhoni wishes to back the cricketing talent of Kashmir by opening a cricket Academy to train young budding cricketers, without charging them any fee

Lt Colonel MS Dhoni has taken a two-month break from the Indian cricket team to stay with his 106 TA Battalion (Para) till August 15 and undertake duties with the troops. Amid the Indian government's decision on August 5 to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution and withdraw the special status given to Jammu & Kashmir, Dhoni has remained stationed in the Valley throughout the security build-up exercise. According to sources, MS Dhoni wishes to back the cricketing talent of Kashmir by opening a cricket Academy to train young budding cricketers, without charging them any fee. The former India skipper will likely formally tell the Sports Ministry about his wish after the ongoing situation in the Kashmir valley gets normal. Dhoni was commissioned into the 106th Infantry Battalion Territorial Army (Parachute Regiment) with the rank of Hon. Lt. Col by the President of India on 1 November 2011. The veteran has been India's most successful skipper across all three formats of the game. He led India to their second ICC World Cup title in 2011. According to IANS, Dhoni is likely to unfurl the tricolour on the occasion of Independence Day in Leh in the newly-created union territory of Ladakh. Defence sources said on Thursday that Dhoni is scheduled to travel along with his regiment to Leh on August 10. "Dhoni is a brand ambassador of the Indian Army. He has engaged in motivating members of his unit and has often been playing football and volleyball with the soldiers. He is also undertaking battle training exercises with the corps. He will remain in the valley till August 15," a senior army official told IANS.