Legendary cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who hails from Jharkhand, has been appointed as a brand ambassador for the upcoming elections. The cricketer has given a go-ahead to the Election Commission to use his photo for the assembly elections, Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar said.
The development comes ahead of the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly Elections scheduled in two phases, on November 13 and November 20. During a press conference in Ranchi, Kumar said, “Mahendra Singh Dhoni has given his consent to the Election Commission to use his photo. We are in touch with him for other details. Mahendra Singh Dhoni will work for the mobilisation of voters….” This means that Dhoni will be involved in bolstering voter awareness under the SWEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) program. The poll body has aimed to leverage Dhoni’s appeal and popularity to increase voter turnout.
Talking about cricket, Dhoni recently dropped a massive hint about his Indian Premier League future ahead of the retention deadline. He indirectly confirmed that he would continue to play in IPL in 2025 and beyond. The 43-year-old cricketer spoke about keeping himself fit to play cricket for the next few years. In a recent promotional event, he said, "I just want to enjoy whatever last few years of cricket I am able to play. When you play cricket like a professional sport, it becomes difficult to enjoy it just like a game. That's what I want to do. It's not easy. The emotions keep coming, the commitments are there,” he told the Times of India.
“I want to enjoy the game for the next few years. I have to keep myself fit for nine months, so that I can play two and a half months of IPL. You need to plan it out, but at the same time chill a bit, he added. His statement appears to be not just for IPL 2025 but the entire three-year cycle. Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad overtook Dhoni as captain ahead of IPL 2024. Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket in 2020. His last international innings was against New Zealand in the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final.
