Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni announced on Wednesday that he will make a decision about his IPL future after dedicating 6-8 months to assess his physical capabilities. The 42-year-old cricket veteran made this statement following CSK‘s two-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata, acknowledging he is in the final phase of his career.Dhoni’s presence continues to draw massive crowds, with fans filling venues in yellow jerseys to witness his performances.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“That is the love and affection I have gotten throughout. Not to forget I am 42. I have played a long time. A lot of them don’t know when it is going to be my last time, so they want to come and see me play,” Dhoni said.The veteran wicketkeeper-batter, who underwent knee surgery in 2023, has been dealing with fitness concerns since. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming recently revealed that Dhoni’s batting capabilities have been limited and it has prompted him to bat lower down the order.
“There is no escaping the fact. After this IPL gets over, I have to work hard for another 6-8 months to see if my body can take this pressure. Nothing to decide now but the love and affection I have seen is excellent,” Dhoni expressed.With playoff hopes already diminished, CSK secured only their third win of the season. The team is now working on improving its bench strength and building for the future.“There were a few things that did not go our way. You could get emotional about it, talk about the pride factor but you have to be practical about it,” Dhoni stated.“Just concentrating about where the 25 players could fit. Want to be competitive but you also want answers – which batter can fit where, which bowler can bowl where, according to the conditions and all. When we started, hardly anyone was scoring,” he added.“We are out of the tournament, so you give them a chance, see how they react. It is the approach, the mental toughness that you want to check. The most technically-correct batter does not always score the runs, if you have good awareness … there is a chance to be consistent.”
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The defeat has left KKR with minimal chances of qualification. Their captain Ajinkya Rahane outlined their path forward. “It is pretty simple, now we have to win two out of two, let’s see what happens from there,” Rahane said.
