Shane Watson, an ex-Australian and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder, believes MS Dhoni is fit and able to continue to lead the side in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for another three to four years. As the captain of CSK, Dhoni will kick off his campaign this season against Gujarat Titans (GT) on March 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Although nothing has been officially declared, rumors have been circulating that IPL 2023 could be MSD’s last season in the T20 league. In an interview with ANI, Watson commented:
“I heard that this is the last IPL of MS Dhoni but I don’t think. MS Dhoni can continue to play for the next three to four years. He is still very fit and batting and wicket-keeping really well.”
“His leadership is something that is as good as his game. His fitness and mind-reading of the game make him a good leader. His skills on the ground are awesome. He is one of the main reasons that CSK is successful.”
Chennai Super Kings have been the second most successful IPL team, with four title triumphs.
Watson recalls Dhoni’s emotional moment with the team during IPL 2018
Watson recently shared a moment from Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018, when Mahendra Singh Dhoni got emotional while speaking to the team during their return season. Ahead of a Legends League Cricket match, Watson recalled the event:
“There was one moment when MS Dhoni got up and spoke at the first team function that we had. You could see how much it meant to him, he got emotional around how much it meant for him to CSK to get back together.”
“The first game against MI, Dwayne Bravo pulled the rabbit out of the hat, got us home out of nowhere. The belief of immediate. We got the team, we got the players, and we had good performances. The environment Dhoni and Stephen Fleming created.. you just went out and had fun.
“We never talked about results, (we were) just there to enjoy ourselves. We had a great bunch of players, with families there as well. For me, it was a special time.”
CSK went on to clinch the trophy in 2018, defeating SunRisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets in the finals.