Many cricket fans are left pondering during the South Africa T20 league why MS Dhoni cannot coach the Joburg Super Kings team even though it is owned by the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. The question seems legitimate as Dhoni does not play international cricket anymore. He only plays in the IPL. In such a scenario, it does seem sensible to rope in MSD as the team’s coaching staff by the Joburg Super Kings. However, it is not the case. Let us find out why?
The only thing that is causing a hindrance for Dhoni to be a coach or part of the coaching staff of the Joburg Super Kings is a BCCI rule that does not allow Indian players or ex-players to participate in foreign leagues. For an Indian player or ex-player to be a part of a foreign league, he/she must retire from all forms of cricket, including the Indian Premier League. According to this rule then, Dhoni can play or coach a foreign league team as and when he stops playing in the IPL.
Other Indian or international players who are part of the coaching staff of various leagues are Mahela Jayawardene, Gautam Gambhir and Zaheer Khan. Zaheer and Mahela represent the Mumbai Indians at the global level whereas Gambhir is the global mentor of Lucknow Supergiants, in addition to being a mentor of the same franchise in the Indian Premier League.