Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan is confident that MS Dhoni will fulfill his promise and play.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season after the 5-time champions retained their skipper on the retention deadline on Sunday, November 26.
Kasi Viswanathan played down concerns over MS Dhoni’s fitness, saying that the superstar captain has recovered well from knee surgery and will be available to play the next season of IPL 2024.
MS Dhoni was retained as the captain of the Super Kings for IPL 2024. CSK released as many as 8 players but they retained the core of the team, including MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Dhoni managed a niggle on his knee throughout the IPL 2023 campaign as he led the Super Kings to their fifth crown. The legendary wicketkeeper-batter hit 104 runs in 16 matches at a stunning strike rate of 184 as he handled his limitations well, playing the finisher’s role to perfection.
Dhoni doused rumours about his future after winning the IPL 2023 title, saying he would return to play for CSK in 2024 and that it would be a gift from his side to fans who have supported him over the years.
“If our leader has given a word, he has never gone back. He already told what he was planning to do in that intervieew. I am sure that knowing MS, he will always do what he has committed to do. He is quite fit. Thalaivan is thalaivan (our leader is our leader),” Kasi Viswanathan said in a video shared by CSK.
Dhoni underwent a successful left knee surgery at Mumbai’s Kokilaben Hospital on June 1st, 2023. The procedure, known as arthroscopic or keyhole surgery, was performed by Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, a renowned sports orthopaedic surgeon. Despite having played the entire IPL 2023 season with heavy strapping on his knee, Dhoni led CSK to their fifth title. Post-surgery, he was discharged promptly and returned to Ranchi for rest and rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, Kasi Viswanathan also said Chennai Super Kings were thinking of retaining Ben Stokes before the England all-rounder made himself unavailable for the next season.
Stokes was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 16.25 crore in IPL 2023 auction but he played only two matches due to knee injury concerns. Stokes managed the knee injury during the World Cup 2023 campaign and the all-rounder is set to undergo surgery.
CSK released Stokes and will head into the mini auction on December 19 with a purse of Rs 31.4 crore.
Chennai Super Kings – 8
Released players: Ben Stokes, Dwaine Pretorius, Bhagath Varma, Subhranshu Senapati, Ambati Rayudu (Retired), Akash Singh, Kyle Jamieson and Sisanda Magala.
Retained Players
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Ajinkya Rahane, Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana, Mukesh Choudhary, Mitchell Santner, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Simarjeet Singh, Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Prashant Solanki, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Ajay Mandal.