Ex-India cricketer Irfan Pathan questioned MS Dhoni's fitness and said he needs to get in better shape for the next IPL season in 2021. The cricketer-turned-commentator said the Dhoni of 2010-11 wouldn't have been satisfied with the Dhoni of 2020's overall performance.
Dhoni never had a season without a half-century before IPL 2020. This was his worst season with the bat and the impact was on his team's performance too. CSK failed to finish a few games despite a good platform that cost them the playoffs spot for the first time after 10-consecutive qualifications.
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“If we talk about the next season alone, I was thinking in my mind after seeing MS Dhoni playing the entire season for CSK, what the captain MS Dhoni of 2010 or 2011 would be telling the MS Dhoni of 2020 in this situation,” Irfan said on Star Sports.
“He would have said to come next year with better fitness and performance and it is clear that he will do that as well, that is the expectation.”
Dhoni has ensured that the team will come back stronger next season and he also put a full stop to his retirement speculations.
"We need to slightly change our core group and look for the next 10 years. At the start of the IPL, we made a team and it served well. There comes a time where you have to shift a bit, hand it over to the next generation."
"We'll come back stronger, that's what we are known for," Dhoni said after beating Kings XI Punjab in their last league match.