Published 13:08 IST, August 17th 2020
MS Dhoni can play for CSK as long as he wants? N Srinivasan talks about 'Thala's' future
Speaking after the news of MS Dhoni's retirement from international cricket, CSK owner N Srinivasan talked about the player's future prospects with CSK.
Days after MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket, former BCCI President N Srinivasan has talked about MS Dhoni's IPL career going forward. Speaking to The Indian Express, N Srinivasan said that MS Dhoni can continue to play for CSK for as long as he wants. MS Dhoni will next be seen for CSK in the IPL 2020, where the former Indian captain will be looking to guide his side to a fourth title victory.
Dhoni retirement: N Srinivasan’s message of support for the player
N Srinivasan mentioned to The Indian Express that while he isn’t looking too far forward, MS Dhoni will always have a place at Chennai Super Kings. Srinivasan admitted that the main reason behind CSK’s success is that MS Dhoni never looks at things beyond the next match. Talking about how he never gets digressed, the CSK owner said that he’ll wait for CSK to win the IPL and then follow the same policy with respect to MS Dhoni’s career at CSK.
In addition to talking about MS Dhoni’s future, the CSK owner also talked about the importance of the player to the city of Chennai and the franchise. Sharing an incident, N Srinivasan talked about how before the coronavirus pandemic, as many as 15,000-20,000 people had come to the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai to just see 'Captain Cool' practice. Talking about his bond with Tamil Nadu, N Srinivasan admitted that while he doesn’t know how the bond between the two developed, MS Dhoni is now a very special icon for the state.
While concluding on Dhoni’s retirement, N Srinivasan said that MS Dhoni should also be credited for the success and popularity of the IPL. The player recently tested negative for COVID-19 and then travelled to Chennai to take part in the training camp ahead of IPL 2020. Following the training camp, CSK are expected to fly out to the United Arab Emirates on August 21 according to media reports.
MS Dhoni stats round up
Ever since the news of MS Dhoni’s retirement was made official, several people have paid tribute to the player by mentioning his stats. MS Dhoni finished his ODI career with 10773 runs at an average of 50.57. In T20Is, his record read 1617 runs at an average of 37.60. The wicketkeeper-batsmen also hung up his boots as the only captain to win all three limited-overs ICC titles: the ODI World Cup, the Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup.
Image Courtesy: PTI
Updated 13:08 IST, August 17th 2020