Following his recent meeting with the captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the 2024 IPL season, former Indian bowler Irfan Pathan feels that MS Dhoni’s knee is in optimal condition.
At 42, MS Dhoni battled through knee pain during IPL. He got surgery afterward. Now, Dhoni is ready to captain CSK again – they’ll try to defend their 2022 title victory that went to the last ball against Gujarat Titans. Dhoni is fit and hale.
Irfan Pathan questioned if we will see a classic Dhoni in the IPL in 2024 in an interview with Star Sports.
“Last year, Dhoni said he was giving a gift to his fans with his cricket. I met with him a few days ago, he was playing pickleball for two hours non-stop. His knee was fit as it ever was. It’s an exciting time for fans; he now has his vintage old look. Will we get the vintage old Dhoni too?”
Irfan Pathan
owing to his inability to go between the wickets last season owing to a knee injury, Dhoni batted lower in the order at Nos. 7 and 8.
The all-time great cricket player nevertheless had a number of impactful cameos, as his 182.46 strike rate overall shows.
“There won’t be much of a change” – Irfan Pathan on MS Dhoni’s role this season
Irfan Pathan anticipates MS Dhoni to play a similar position to last year in the IPL 2024, batting further down the order and focussing more on his leadership.
Last year, the CSK captain became the first player to lead a club in more than 200 games, helping them win their fifth IPL title and tying with the Mumbai Indians (MI).
“His role has changed in the past two years. He comes in lower-order, plays lesser deliveries but hits the big shots, the strike rate is high. It’s a small innings but a memorable one. I think there won’t be much of a change in that this year. He will continue to play that role, and would want to contribute with his captaincy. But there won’t be complaints if he treats the fans with more.”
Irfan Pathan
The cricketer has a superb leadership record, unmatched in his era. Additionally, he occupies seventh place among batters with the highest IPL runs – 5,082 over 250 matches.
CSK will kick up their IPL 2024 campaign with a home encounter against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on March 22.