World Cup 2019: The reason why MS Dhoni has been using bats from different sponsors in the World Cup revealed

What's the story?

Former Indian Cricket Team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has been facing a barrage of criticism for his performances in the World Cup 2019 recently, has been doing something rare in the tournament being held in England.

The 37-year-old has been using bats customized with stickers from different brands in his recent outings with the Men in Blue. He was spotted using the bats with SG and BAS logos in his recent matches. While speaking with Mumbai Mirror (via Indian Express), his manager Arun Pandey revealed the reason why he has been using bats with different sponsors' stickers.

In case you didn't know..

MS Dhoni made his debut in the Internation Cricket in 2004 and since has been a key player for the Men in Blue. In what has been an ornamented career both on the individual as well as collective level, 'Mahi' has cemented his status as one of the all-time greats in the gentlemen's game.

During his stint as the captain of India, the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman became the first captain to win all three ICC limited-overs trophies, which included a World Cup, Champions Trophy, and the World Twenty20 triumph.

Dhoni had a bat sponsorship deal with a host of brands including Reebok, SG, SS, and Spartan throughout his career. However, the right-handed batsman ended his deal with Australia-based company Spartan over some finance-related issues earlier this year.

The heart of the matter

During India's WC encounter against West Indies in the World Cup, MS Dhoni changed his bat in the final over before hitting Oshane Thomas for a six. He was spotted doing the same thing quite a times in the ongoing campaign. Star Sports earlier revealed that Dhoni starts with a stock bat initially and then prefers to switch to a lighter bat with a wide handle.

In the previous two matches against England and Bangladesh, MS Dhoni initially began his innings with a bat with the SG logo and then switched to a vampire bat with BAS logo in the latter stages of his innings.

On being asked about this strange practice from Dhoni, his manager Arun Pandey said:

“It’s a fact that he has been using different bats with different brandings, but he is not charging them. He wants to say thank to them for helping in various stages of his career.”

“Dhoni has a big heart. He does not need money, he has enough of it, he is using those bats as a goodwill gesture. BAS was with him from the beginning and SG also was very helpful to him,” he added.

What's next?

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and co. will take on neighbours Sri Lanka in their last group-stage fixture in the World Cup. It is believed that Dhoni's strange usage of different bats is a hint to his potential retirement after the tournament.

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