WATCH- MS Dhoni starts IPL 2026 practice at JSCA stadium:Former CSK captain returns in iconic Morrant pads 2 months before tournament

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has returned to the nets with IPL 2026 just two months away. The 19th edition will kick off on 26th March, and former India captain has already started his preparation in his iconic Morrant pads at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association stadium. The clip of Dhoni padding up for training was released by JSCA’s official Instagram handle. There were no visuals of Chennai Super Kings players hitting the ball, but the yellow Morrant pads gave away that Dhoni was probably training for the Indian Premier League 2026 and not doing just routine practice. Dhoni returns to practice at JSCA Stadium ahead of IPL 2026 In the Instagram reel posted by JSCA’s social media handle, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was padding up for net practice. Meanwhile, as per the clip, the video also featured the Jharkhand State Cricket Association president, Saurabh Tiwary. It is worth noting that what gave away Dhoni’s advanced IPL practice was his yellow Morrant pads, which hold their significance in their own aspect. They are seemingly heavier and more rugged in comparison to standard pads. Here’s the video released by JSCA: Also Read: WATCH | Hardik Pandya’s ‘animated’ chat with Murali Kartik: IND vs NZ 2nd T20I top moments and records Why Dhoni’s pads appear old, rugged, and heavier in the video The pads that Dhoni was wearing in the clip are the iconic Morrant pads that are worn by only a few batters in the world. As per ESPN Cricinfo, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly played in these pads, as did Dhoni and R Ashwin. The difference between Morrant pads and the regular ones is the straps on the back. The Morrants have two straps on the back, while the others have three. These pads are lighter by at least 200 grams but offer less knee mobility. Meanwhile, the standard pads might be heavier due to three straps, but provide greater mobility to the players. Chennai Super Kings splurged money on uncapped Indians in IPL 2026 auction Chennai Super Kings splurged big on uncapped Indian all-rounder Prashant Veer, paying a hefty ₹14.20 crore at the IPL 2026 mini-auction on Tuesday. CSK also went all out for uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma, buying him for the same price. With a base price of ₹30 lakh, the duo became the joint-highest paid uncapped players in IPL auction history. Also Read: Top 5 surprises of IPL 2026 mini-auction: Uncapped Prashant, Kartik become millionaires, Jason Holder bags ₹7 cr after going unsold for two seasons Veer, an all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh, impressed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 112 runs in six innings at an average of over 37 and a strike rate of over 170. He also grabbed 9 wickets in 7 matches. Meanwhile, Kartik, a wicketkeeper-batter from Rajasthan, has featured in 12 T20s, scoring 334 runs at an average of 30.36 and a strike rate of 162.92, including two fifties. In the Ranji Trophy, he played 5 matches, amassing 331 runs at 55.16 average, with 2 centuries. CSK also secured West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein for ₹2 crore, which was his base price. Ahead of the mini-auction, CSK traded Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to the Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Sanju Samson. Samson is expected to open for CSK next season, alongside either Ruturaj Gaikwad or Ayush Mhatre.