Former South African and Indian Premier League (IPL) star AB de Villiers has made a bold prediction regarding MS Dhoni's future in the IPL, expressing delight at the iconic cricketer's retention as captain by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the upcoming 2024 season. Despite releasing eight players, CSK maintained the core of their team, featuring stalwarts like MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
During the IPL 2023 season, Dhoni battled a knee niggle but led CSK to their sixth title, scoring 104 runs in 16 matches with an impressive strike rate of 184. Putting an end to speculation about his future, Dhoni confirmed his return for the 2024 season, citing it as a gift to loyal fans.
"I see that man's name on the retention list, and it just makes me happy. There was a lot of talk about it in the last season about whether it was going to be his last season. He is moving on to 2024 to play another IPL season. With him, he is always full of surprises. Maybe he has got three more to go, who knows? But It is just great to see his name on there," AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
AB de Villiers, commenting on his YouTube channel, expressed joy seeing Dhoni's name on the retention list, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding Dhoni's future in the previous season. De Villiers acknowledged Dhoni's penchant for surprises, suggesting the possibility of more seasons for the cricket legend.
Despite Dhoni's remarkable leadership amid physical challenges, discussions also revolved around CSK's potential targets in the IPL 2024 auction. De Villiers pointed out Shahrukh Khan, released by Punjab Kings, as a strong and consistent player with a powerful hitting ability. He praised CSK's knack for acquiring released players, indicating potential interest in Shahrukh Khan.
"He (Shahrukh Khan) is a strong player and is pretty consistent. I am very sure some of the teams will be very keen to get him over there. He hits the ball a long way as well. That's where CSK stand out. They are very good at picking up released players," de Villiers added.
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