"If He Loses 20kg, I Will Pick Him In IPL": MS Dhoni's Intriguing Chat With Afghan Star

MS Dhoni has groomed many emerging cricketers as Chennai Super Kings skipper in the Indian Premier League.

Former India captain MS Dhoni has been the guiding force for many budding cricketers. A number of players, both Indian and overseas, have been groomed by Dhon in the Indian Premier League and gone on to make a name for themselves in international cricket. Former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan narrated an intriguing conversation with Dhoni where he spoke of fellow Afghanistan player Mohammad Shahzad's admiration for the Indian wicket-keeper batter. Dhoni, giving a cheeky response, said that he would pick Shahzad in the IPL if he goes on to lose 20 kg of weight.

In a chat with the Times of India, Asghar Afghan revealed that the conversation took place after the tied India vs Afghanistan match in the 2018 Asia Cup.

"After the tied match, I had a long chat with MS Dhoni. He is a superb captain and a god's gift to Indian cricket. He is a nice human being. We spoke about Mohammad Shahzad a lot. I told Dhoni bhai that Shahzad is your big fan. Dhoni said 'Shahzad has got a big tummy and if he loses 20 kg, I will pick him in the IPL'. But when Shahzad returned to Afghanistan after the series, he gained 5 more kgs (laughs)," he said.