On Saturday, former Indian skipper MS Dhoni reached Dubai along with his wife Sakshi in order to inaugurate his first cricket academy. He will also attend a special conference with the aspiring cricketers scheduled for Sunday.

Regarded as one of the most popular cricketers in the world, MS agreed on a partnership with the Dubai-based Pacific Ventures to set up the academy at the Springdales School campus.

In a conversation with Gulf New related to the academy, Dhoni said, “Sports has attained a global stature not just for fostering athleticism and sportsmanship, but also as a viable business platform that involves many different stakeholders, from small businesses to big conglomerates and organizations. I am delighted to be a part of the club and will contribute by any means possible to make it a success.”

It will be called the MS Dhoni Cricket Academy (MSDCA), and he will be the brand ambassador of the academy. Apart from that, Dhoni will fly to Dubai frequently to give hands-on training to the kids.

talking to Sportstar, the director of Pacific Ventures, Parvez Khan said, “The academy is in perfect shape and it will be a big thing for UAE cricket do have an academy run by a legend like Dhoni.”

Many Indian cricketers like Harbhajan Singh, Sourav Ganguly, and Virender Sehwag have their own cricket academies, but they are in India. Dhoni’s venture is first of its kind for an Indian player.

Dhoni retired from the longest format of the game but is still an integral part of both the limited overs squads. His position in the team has, however, come under scanner as India continue to build a team for the 2019 World Cup in England.