MS Dhoni refuses to sport Indian flag on his helmet, here's a theory explaining why

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's love for the Indian army is no secret.

The most decorated Indian cricket captain in history has often said he would've joined the armed forces had he not made it as a professional cricketer.

Dhoni's wicket-keeping gloves have always sported an army-print, and he's often seen wearing military-style apparel in public.

Now, highlighting MSD's love for his country, a fan has come up with a theory as to why the legend doesn't sport the Indian flag on his helmet the way many other Team India stars do.

According to a Quora user, Dhoni refuses to have a small flag stuck at the front of his helmet, a trend that was started years ago by the great Sachin Tendulkar, because he believes it is disrespectful and against the law.

Wicket-keepers rotate between wearing and removing their helmets, depending on whether or not they're standing up at the stumps. If they're not wearing it, they tend to place it on the ground behind them since sending it back to the dressing room each time isn't plausible.

Dhoni, apparently, doesn't like the idea of the Indian flag being placed on the floor, which is why he doesn't sport it on his helmet.

Well, although this is only a fan theory and cannot be verified, it does seem like something Dhoni would do. And if at all it is true, it is another great example of how deeply Mahi respects his country.

Karn Sharma excited to play under Dhoni

Meanwhile, leg-spinner Karn Sharma on Tuesday said he was excited to get an opportunity to play at Chennai Super Kings (CSK) under Mahendra Singh Dhoni and hoped to learn a lot under him in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).

"I'm very excited and happy that Chennai Super Kings have given me the opportunity to play under Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni). He's a great captain and knows how to extract the best from his players. I hope to learn a lot under him," Sharma was quoted as saying by the CSK website.

He further said that he was looking forward to playing for the team and learn from the great players in the line-up. "I'm looking forward to playing for the champion franchise. CSK have a lot of great players in their line-up.I see this as a great opportunity to learn from them and become a better player," added the Meerut-born cricketer.

Wrist spinners are making an impact in the shorter formats of the game and Sharma was a consistent performer in domestic cricket and for India A in 2017-18 in what is seen as the revival of the 30-year-old who represented India in Test cricket, ODIs and T20I in 2014.

He played an important role in Mumbai Indians winning their third title last season, conceding only 18 runs in his four overs in a low-scoring final against Rising Pune Supergiant. Sharma, also a useful lower-order batsman, said he has not only added more variations to his repertoire, but has worked on imparting more revolutions to his stock delivery.

"I've been playing in the IPL for long now and have learnt a lot of variations and how to bowl in different situations and to different batsmen. I've become a better bowler with that," the Meerut-born cricketer said.

CSK's CEO K S Viswanathan said Karn is an experienced campaigner in the IPL and being a wrist spinner could be a big asset to the team.

Karn has been consistent over the years and turned in match-winning performances in big games," he said. "Being a wrist spinner, he is a big asset to the side," the CSK CEO added.

(Inputs from PTI)