Will MS Dhoni play during IPL 2024? CSK CEO gives verdict ahead of upcoming season

MS Dhoni was among the players that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) retained going into the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). While it had looked like he might hang up his boots after the end of the 2023 season, Dhoni had said that he would work on his fitness and return in 2024 as a way of thanking supporters around the country who cheered him on.

3 Things you need to know

• CSK released Ben Stokes ahead of IPL 2024
• CSK won IPL 2023
• MS Dhoni is expected to lead CSK in IPL 2024

READ: Will Hardik Pandya's inclusion work as an advantage or disadvantage for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024?

CSK CEO gives verdict on MS Dhoni's future

Even when CSK was playing away from home in the 2023 IPL season, fans wearing the CSK yellow shirt with Dhoni's name on the back had become somewhat of a signature. Although it is unclear how fit the CSK captain is, Kasi Viswanathan, the team's CEO, is optimistic that Dhoni will play for them in the 2024 Indian Premier League.

"Our leader has never turned back once he has spoken. He had previously stated his plans for the interview. Knowing MS, I have no doubt that he will always follow through on his commitments. He's in good shape. In a video that CSK released, Kasi Viswanathan declared, "Thalaivan is thalaivan, or our leader is our leader."

Dhoni spent a large portion of the 2023 season dealing with a knee injury. Despite having extensive knee bracing, he continued to take wickets behind the stumps for CSK during the season. On June 1, 2023, the former captain of India had a successful left knee surgery at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. Since the conclusion of the 2023 season, he has repeatedly trained in Ranchi.

Of the players who captained teams in the 2008 IPL's first season, Dhoni is the only one who is still playing. Known as one of the greatest Indian captains of all time, Dhoni guided CSK to a fifth championship that tied the record last year. August 15, 2020, marked the end of his international career. To this day, he is the only captain of an international team to have won the Champions Trophy, the T20 World Cup, and the ODI World Cup. In 2009, he captained India when they achieved their first-ever Test ranking victory.