IPL 2021: MS Dhoni slams big sixes during CSK training session; WATCH

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players including Skipper MS Dhoni had arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 13 and had since been in isolation at their hotel in Dubai. The players came out of quarantine on August 19, following which they began their practice session at the ICC academy. In a video that has surfaced on social media, Dhoni can be seen hitting a huge six during their training session. Something he will definitely be hoping to emulate once the tournament resumes.

Apart from MS Dhoni, other Indian players who are not on national or state duty have joined the camp in the UAE. Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Deepak Chahar, and Ruturaj Gaikwad are among the players who arrived in the UAE a month before the start of the second leg of the IPL 2021 in order to gain match experience. They are also likely to benefit from the one-month-long practice, which will help them acclimatise to the conditions in the Middle-Eastern country.

CSK schedule for IPL 2021 second leg

CSK are currently in the second spot after Delhi Capitals before the tournament was called off on 4 May due to the COVID-19 crisis. The MS Dhoni-led team will play three matches at the Dubai International Stadium and two each at Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. CSK will play the first match of the UAE leg against defending champions Mumbai Indians.

The tournament will re-start from 19 September with the finals scheduled for 15 October. A total of 31 matches will be played in the given time frame. There are also going to be seven double-headers with the first match starting at 3:30 pm IST and the second match at 7:30 pm IST.

Most of the 31 matches will be played in Dubai (13), followed by Sharjah (10) and Abu Dhabi (8). The final match of the league stage will be played between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals on 8 October. The knockout stage of the premier T20 competition will begin on 10 October with Qualifier 1 taking place in Dubai, and the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 in Sharjah on 11 and 13 October, respectively

Hazlewood boost for CSK

The second phase of the IPL 2021 has witnessed some players from the Australian camp withdrawing from the tournament. So far, the likes of Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson, Jhye Richardson, and Riley Meredith are likely to miss the second phase of IPL 2021 in the UAE. However, in a recent development Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has confirmed his availability to play for his team, CSK, in this year's IPL.

Hazlewood missed the first leg of the tournament to play the Shield Final and spend time at home with his family and friends. On Sunday, CSK CEO KS Viswanathan confirmed the availability of the pacer. He said, "Hazlewood has confirmed his availability for the second phase of IPL starting from 19 September. The BCCI has confirmed that players who were not available in the first phase can join the respective teams in the second phase if they are fit and available. Considering Hazlewood’s form, he will be a great addition to our team."

(Image Credits: @ChennaiIPL - Twitter)