Dhoni is a force to reckon with in the IPL despite retiring from international cricket in 2020.
MS Dhoni, who will turn 44 in July this year, is all set to feature in the upcoming IPL 2025 season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
The legendary wicketkeeper-batter was retained for INR 4 crore by the Chennai-based franchise ahead of the mega-auction last year.
Dhoni is still a force to reckon with in the cash-rich league. In the 2024 edition of the IPL, he scored 161 runs while batting lower down the order and slammed as many as 13 sixes in 14 games.
With barely a few days remaining for the IPL 2025, former India cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Aakash Chopra explained the reason why Dhoni continues to make an impact with the bat.
“Last year he was brilliant. I met him recently at one of our friend’s wedding function. He looked very fit and solid. I asked him, Isn’t it difficult, what you’re doing? He said, ‘It is hard, but this is the only thing I like doing. I enjoy it. When it’s 4 or 5, I want to go and play. And I want to do it.’ It’s hard without playing any cricket. But he’s showing how it’s done. You know, he must be doing something better than the others. You know, still surviving – not surviving, actually – still dominating," Harbhajan said while speaking on the ESPNCricinfo show.
“Last season, actually, he dominated all the bowlers, international bowlers, and domestic top-class bowlers. So this practice that he does for 2-3 months, he must be facing so many balls."
“He’s the first one to arrive. The more balls you play, the more you get that timing, and the more you get that flow. He keeps on batting. 2-2, 3-3 hours he bats in Chennai. And that’s what matters, you know. He’s the first one to come to the ground, the last one to go. At this age, that’s what the difference is," Harbhajan added.
On the other hand, Chopra emphasized that Dhoni is very honest with himself and is aware of his strengths.
“I also feel that he’s very honest with himself. And that honesty matters a lot. And why does that matter? See, all of us kept on shouting that he can’t come up to bat if he’s batting so well. But in his head, he was convinced that I cannot bat for 40 balls. If he comes to bat after 12 overs, I can’t do it. You may think that I’m able to hit, but the fact of the matter is that I know I won’t be able to. And that’s, I think, point one. So it was very clear what I can do. Sometimes it’s equally important to know what I can’t do. So that allows you that clarity. He has that clarity," Chopra remarked.
The IPL 2025 season is slated to get underway on March 22 with the KKR versus RCB clash in Kolkata. CSK will open their campaign against arch-rivals MI on March 23 at Chepauk.