IPL 2024: Former Indian team coach Anil Kumble has said that it will not be easy for Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MS Dhoni) to play in this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024). Kumble believes that due to knee injury and lack of match practice, it may be difficult for Dhoni in the new season. Dhoni has been retained by Chennai Super Kings. Along with this, the team released 8 players before the mini-auction of IPL 2024. 26th November was the deadline for the retention of players.
Under the captaincy of Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings has won the IPL title five times. Chennai defeated Gujarat Titans in the final in 2023. Despite a knee injury, Dhoni played all 16 matches. He had scored only 104 runs but his strike rate was more than 180.
After the 2023 IPL, Dhoni left an emotional message for the fans. He said he had thanked the fans for their support and love. He had said, ‘It would have been very easy for me to say thank you and retire. But with the kind of love I have received from the fans of Chennai Super Kings, So I want to give them a gift by playing one more season.
Dhoni underwent knee surgery after the IPL season. This surgery took place at Kokila Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.
Kumble said in a conversation with Geo Cinema, ‘I think last year was a good example. We all know that he was not 100 percent fit. But even after this, he played important roles both behind and in front of the stumps. You had time but you have not played any cricket. This is not going to be easy. He has undergone knee surgery. He will have to work very hard.
But he is such a player who does not give any idea of what he is going to do. We have seen how he said goodbye to international cricket. I am sure that the fans and players would like him to play the entire season. I have full confidence that if he prepared and kept himself ready for the season. So he will play the whole season.
CSK IPL 2024 retention
Players released: Ben Stokes, Dwayne Pretorius, Bhagat Verma, Subhranshu Senapathy, Ambati Rayudu (retired), Akash Singh, Kyle Jamieson, and Sisanda Magala.
The players retained are: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dubey, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (captain & wk), Ajinkya Rahane, Deepak Chahar, Mahesh Theekshana, Mukesh Chaudhary, Mitchell Santner, Rajvardhan Hungergekar, Simarjeet Singh, Mathisha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Prashant Solanki, Sheikh Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Ajay Mandal.
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