Despite speculation that this year’s IPL might be MS Dhoni’s farewell season, the 41-year-old cricket legend is still displaying his impressive form and fitness. Stephen Fleming, coach of Chennai Super Kings, praised Dhoni for maintaining a professional fitness level and has admitted that Dhoni had not had many opportunities to train due to his retirement from international cricket. On April 12th, Dhoni smacked 32* off 17 balls in a match against Rajasthan Royals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, despite the team not emerging victorious. At a post-match press conference, Fleming revealed that CSK captain Dhoni is currently dealing with a knee injury and discussed Dhoni’s techniques for preparing for the Indian Premier League. Fleming stated:
“He is strong. He is nursing a knee injury which you can see in some of his movement, which is hindering him somewhat. Still, what you saw today [Wednesday]… a great player for us. His fitness has always been professional. He comes in months before the tournament starts, so he doesn’t get the opportunity to do a lot. To say fit, he does some netting in Ranchi, but his main pre-season is a month before he comes to Chennai.
“He works his way back into match form, and you can still see he is playing pretty well. We never have any doubts about the way he manages himself. He always gets himself up to speed.”
With just 21 runs required off the final over, CSK captain MS Dhoni hit two consecutive sixes against RR’s bowler Sandeep Sharma. Despite this, Sharma held his nerve and led his team to a three-run victory.
“At the end of the day the bowler is under pressure”: MS Dhoni
Despite CSK’s loss against RR in the match on Wednesday, Dhoni impressed the audience with his impressive power-hitting skills at the end. When asked about his strategy against the bowlers, Dhoni replied:
“You see the field, you see the bowler, and you plan as to what the bowler’s strength is. After that, just stand still and wait for them to commit mistakes. I don’t fancy too many things and do a lot of things. If they bowl the right areas, then well done to them.
“At the end of the day the bowler is under pressure. Even if he misses by a few inches, you can hit it for a sixes. You need to back your strength.”