Does Dhoni face ‘conflict of interest’ in role as Indian team mentor?

BCCI’s apex council on Thursday received a complaint against former captain MS Dhoni’s appointment as the Indian team’s mentor for the T20 World Cup, citing a conflict of interest clause in the Lodha Committee report on reforming Indian cricket administration.

Former Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association life member Sanjeev Gupta, who has previously filed a series of conflict of interest complaints against players and administrators, has sent a letter to the apex council members saying one person cannot hold two posts.

Dhoni is also captain of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

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“Yes, Gupta has sent a letter to apex council members including Sourav [Ganguly] and Jay [Shah]. He has cited clause 38 (4) of the BCCI constitution, which loosely states that one person cannot be holding two separate posts,” a BCCI source said on condition of anonymity.

“The apex council will need to consult its legal team to check the ramifications,” he said.

It is understood that Dhoni being a player in one team and mentor in another raises questions.

Dhoni was named mentor for WT20 by BCCI secretary Jay Shah on the sidelines of the squad announcement on Wednesday.

Dhoni is currently with CSK, gearing up for the resumption of the league from September 19 in the UAE.

The ex-captain announced his retirement via an instagram post on August 15 last year.

The wicketkeeper-batsman played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs and 98 T20 Internationals, amassing 4,876, 10,773 and 1,617 runs, respectively, across the three formats.

He has largely kept a low profile after retiring internationally, focusing on his IPL engagements and organic farming at his home town Ranchi.