Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowler Deepak Chahar said that MS Dhoni has recovered effectively from his knee injury and expressed confidence that the 42-year-old could continue playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for another 2 to 3 years. Dhoni, after CSK's victorious campaign in 2023, affirmed his return for the T20I tournament in 2024, much to the delight of CSK fans.
Every season, Dhoni's future in the IPL sparks considerable discussion. When initially asked about retirement from the IPL at the conclusion of the 2020 season, Dhoni firmly responded, ‘Definitely not.’ Despite retiring from international cricket on August 15, Dhoni has maintained his fitness to lead the CSK over the past four years.
MS Dhoni has consistently demonstrated that age is merely a number, guiding the CSK to IPL glory in 2021 and 2023, thereby equalling Rohit Sharma as the most successful captain in the league's history.
Dhoni's steadfast dedication to his team shone brightly as he guided CSK to their fifth IPL victory, despite battling his injury throughout the 2023 tournament. Dhoni underwent a successful knee surgery in June and committed himself to a rigorous rehabilitation regimen, with the goal of achieving peak fitness ahead of the upcoming IPL season in 2024.
“I think he has a lot to give to cricket. He can play for another 2-3 seasons. I have seen him bat in the nets. Obviously, he had an injury that anyone can have, people at 24 have that same injury that he has,” Chahar told PTI news agency.
"He has recovered well. For me personally, he should play for another 2-3 years. But it's his call. He told everyone he was going to play his last game in Chennai. I think he will only decide. For us, it will be very difficult to play for CSK without him. Everyone has (always) seen CSK with Mahi bhai," he added.
'WE PLAYED A LOT OF PUBG'
Throughout his rehabilitation, Dhoni has remained dedicated to his recovery regimen and training sessions. The CEO of CSK Kasi Viswanathan expressed confidence in Dhoni's progress, affirming that the legendary wicketkeeper-batter had made a strong recovery from his knee troubles.
Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Chahar shared insights into his relationship with MS Dhoni, revealing that while it took some time to build rapport with the skipper, he now views the former World Cup-winning captain as an ‘elder brother.’
Chahar attributed his breakthrough in the IPL 2018 season to MS Dhoni's support, acknowledging that it paved the way for his debut for India later that year. Despite featuring in only five matches across the 2016 and 2017 seasons, the 31-year-old fast bowler impressed with ten wickets from twelve matches in what proved to be a pivotal season for him.
"It took me 2-3 years to get comfortable around him Dhoni. I see him as an elder brother and I think he treats me as a younger brother," Deepak Chahar said.
"We have our fun moments. During lockdown, we played a lot of PUBG together. We played a lot of games together. We spent a lot of time together off the field. I've been lucky to learn so much from him. I would say because of him only I got a chance to play for India because, before that, he gave me a really big chance to play all 14 games in IPL. In 2018, I played all the 14 games."
Chahar, absent from the South Africa tour and the Afghanistan home series due to personal reasons, is eager to stage a comeback in the IPL and secure his position in the T20 World Cup squad.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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