As we inch closer to the IPL 2020, all eyes will be on Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni, who will return to playing cricket for the first time since India’s World Cup exit last year. While Dhoni’s return is a sign that he may still have some cricket left in him, CEO of the franchise Kasi Viswanathan has hinted at the former India captain continuing till 2022 besides providing surety for at least the coming couple of seasons. (Full coverage of IPL 2020)
“We don’t worry about him at all. Yes, we can expect MS Dhoni to be part of both (IPL 2020 and 2021) and probably for even the next year, 2022,” Viswanathan told India Today. “I am getting updates through the media only, saying he has been training in Jharkhand in indoor nets. But we don’t have to worry about the skipper, boss. We don’t worry about him at all. He knows his responsibilities and he will take care of himself and the team.”
Days after Suresh Raina said Dhoni’s ‘helicopters’ are expected to be out soon, it seems as if his former CSK and India captain has taken Raina’s words seriously. On Friday, reports emerged that Dhoni hit the ground running in a bid to prepare for the IPL, hitting the JSCA indoor facility ahead of the team’s departure. Due to lockdown and social distancing, there aren’t too many bowlers available in Ranchi at the moment, so Dhoni has taken to facing bowling machines for the time being.
Viswanathan is not the first to predict Dhoni’s future with CSK. In January this year, the lack of a central contract for Dhoni sparked rumours of his retirement but N Srinivasan confirmed that the former skipper will be leading the team in IPL 2021. “Dhoni will play this year, next year he will go to the auction and we will retain him,” N Srinivasan during an event.
Meanwhile, Viswanathan touched upon the preparations that are in order for CSK and their training in the UAE. The CEO confirmed that the team will reach Chennai on August 16, before leaving for the Emirates five days later (August 21), where their base camp will be in Dubai.
“The team will start practicing at Chepauk mostly by August 16. Dhoni and Raina, along with other team members, would arrive by August 14-15, and we would leave for UAE around August 21,” he said. “It will be a skill-based plus training camp. It can’t immediately start off with skills because they are coming back after a long off.”
