Pant trains with MS Dhoni ahead of Sri Lanka Test series; photo goes viral

MS Dhoni trains with Rishabh PantIndia wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has started gearing up for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, with his preparations including a training session alongside former India captain MS Dhoni in Ranchi.A picture shared by former India spinner Shahbaz Nadeem from a gym in Ranchi showed Pant and Dhoni training together. While Dhoni was dressed in a blue tracksuit, Pant wore a black T-shirt and shorts.Sharing the photo on social media, Nadeem wrote, "Two of the best finishers of indian cricket @rishabpant and @mahi7781 bhai."Although Pant is currently out of India's white-ball setup, he continues to be a key member of the Test squad led by Shubman Gill.The 28-year-old heads into the Sri Lanka series after a disappointing IPL 2026 season with Lucknow Super Giants. Leading the franchise, Pant scored 312 runs in the tournament at an average of 28.36 and a strike rate of 138.05 as LSG finished at the bottom of the points table.Pant was last seen in competitive action during India's one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur in June.India have little margin for error in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. They need to win seven of their remaining nine Tests to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.The upcoming home series against Sri Lanka is therefore crucial, with India targeting a 2-0 sweep before travelling to New Zealand for what is expected to be a far more challenging assignment.Dhoni, meanwhile, has remained away from competitive cricket after missing the entire IPL 2026 season because of persistent injury concerns, raising fresh questions over his playing future.There are reports that the former India captain is being considered for a mentorship role with Chennai Super Kings following Stephen Fleming's departure as head coach.Having failed to qualify for the playoffs in each of the last three seasons since winning the IPL title in 2023, CSK are set for a restructuring phase. Dhoni is expected to be handed overall control of cricket operations, irrespective of when he officially assumes the role.