Former Indian fast bowler Irfan Pathan has stated that MS Dhoni‘s knee appears to be in excellent condition following their recent encounter ahead of the 2024 IPL season with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain.
Despite playing through a knee injury in the previous IPL season and undergoing surgery during the off-season, Dhoni is now fully recovered and ready to lead CSK in their title defense after their exciting last-ball victory against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the last year’s final.
In an interview with Star Sports, Irfan Pathan pondered whether the 2024 IPL season would showcase a classic performance from Dhoni.
“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?” said Pathan.
Last season, Dhoni was positioned lower in the batting order, typically at No.7 and 8, due to his restricted mobility caused by the knee injury. Despite this, the seasoned cricketer contributed with numerous valuable innings, as indicated by his impressive overall strike rate of 182.46.
“There won’t be much of a change” -Irfan Pathan’s take on MS Dhoni’s role for this season
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Irfan Pathan anticipates that in IPL 2024, MS Dhoni will assume a comparable role to last year, batting lower in the order and emphasizing his contributions through leadership on the field.
Last year, the captain of CSK achieved the milestone of leading a franchise in more than 200 matches, becoming the first player to do so. His leadership was instrumental in guiding the team to their fifth IPL title, equaling the record held by 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,” said Pathan.
In addition to his remarkable captaincy achievements, Dhoni ranks seventh in IPL history for the highest run-scorers, amassing 5,082 runs in 250 matches.
CSK will kick off their IPL 2024 journey in a highly anticipated match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at home on March 22, marking the tournament’s opening fixture.
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