Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said MS Dhoni returning to play Indian Premier League in 2023 is good news for Chennai Super Kings, adding that ‘an incredibly fit’ player like him should not have any problems easing into the scheme of things next year.
Putting an end to speculation, MS Dhoni confirmed on Friday, ahead of CSK’s last match of the season in Mumbai, that he will be returning to play the IPL 2023 so that he can say ‘thank you’ to the franchise’s fans in Chennai and hopefully across 10 venues if the IPL goes back to the home-away format.
“There is no question about that. It’s good that they have made the announcement now, it cuts all the speculation, all the drama that goes behind it. He has one of the best leaders the country has ever produced, especially in white-ball cricket. The announcement must be heartening for the CSK fans more than anything else,” Shastri told ESPNCricinfo.
“He is not (any ordinary player). He will be up in the mountains with his regiment. He will take a break for 2-3 months. He will come and play some cricket. He will then have one big over and he will get going.”
Dhoni, 40, showed glimpses of return to good form with the bat, scoring 232 runs in 14 matches at an average of over 30. However, CSK were not able to make the playoffs as they managed just 4 wins from 14 league games.
“He was definitely better than last year, much more fluent. His fluency is back, there is a sense of purpose. He keeps striking it over the top, he has had no problems with power. He is an unbelievably fit bloke,” Shastri added.
