Dhoni set to enthrall fans in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Indian limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is in Jharkhand’s 15-member squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, arrived in the city on Tuesday and the star player hit the 'nets' ahead of his team's opener against Jammu & Kashmir in Alur grounds on Thursday.

Dhoni will be returning to domestic circuit after eight years and his presence in the tournament is sure to raise the interest among fans of Karnataka. The 34-year-old last played for Jharkhand in the East Zone leg of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Championship in Kolkata in 2007.

Jharkhand, who play five of their six games in Alur, are in 'Group B' along with defending champions Karnataka, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Railways, Haryana and Gujarat.

Dhoni batted for 20 minutes in the 'nets', facing a good mix of spin and fast bowlers. Jharkhand have qualified for the knockout stage of the Ranji Trophy and the presence of Dhoni will certainly boost the side's confidence, believes coach Satish Singh.

"Dhoni's presence is indeed morale-boosting for us. We are confident of entering the knockouts in this tournament as well," said Satish.

After his batting stint, Dhoni was seen having a chat with paceman Mohammed Shami — who is training at the National Cricket Academy  — for a brief period before indulging in a game of football with team-mates.

Satish said the youngsters in the Jharkhand squad were excited to have Dhoni in the side. "It is exciting time for us and the boys in the squad are very happy. He is a kind of a player who can change the course of a game single-handedly."

Satish hoped Dhoni's presence will draw a lot of spectators, given his reputation as an entertainer in the limited overs format. "The people here are great supporters of cricket and I am sure with Dhoni in the side, our team will get great backing from the fans here. " Jharkhand's only match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium is on Sunday against Kerala.