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regular-article-logo Friday, 19 April 2024

I have ample time to decide: Mahendra Singh Dhoni on retirement talks and returning to play for CSK in IPL 2024

CSK skipper says reaching 10th IPL final means a lot to him

Our Bureau Calcutta Published 24.05.23, 05:19 AM
Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Sourced by the Telegraph

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in no hurry to decide on his future. After guiding Chennai Super Kings to the final, Dhoni said he will wait till December before taking a call on whether he will play another edition of IPL.

“I don’t know, I have 8-9 months to decide. I have ample time to decide. Why take that headache now?” Dhoni said at the prize distribution ceremony.

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“The auction is in December. I will always come to CSK whether it is as a player or somewhere outside... I have been out of home from January, been practising since March, so we will see.”

Dhoni said reaching the 10th IPL final meant a lot to him. “I think IPL is too big to say it is just another final... It is no longer about eight teams. Ten teams makes it all the more tougher... Hard work of two months,” he said.

“Lot of character showed by our players. Everyone has contributed. Yes, middle order hasn’t got ample opportunities but they have chipped in.”

Dhoni felt it was a good toss to lose. “Gujarat Titans are good chasers so we wanted to get them in. But it was a good toss to lose. The way it turned for 30 minutes.... and when Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) gets conditions like that, he is hard to hit. Not to forget the partnership between him and Moeen (Ali) too,” the CSK captain said.

He also heaped praise on the support staff and how the young fast bowlers have developed under them.

“We try to create an environment and work out what the fast bowler’s strength is. We try to give them confidence and tell them ‘please try to explore your bowling’. We try to motivate them as much as possible. The support staff — (Dwayne) Bravo, Eric (Simmons) — are also there...”

Dhoni also felt he can at times be an “annoying” captain. “I can be a very annoying captain, I keep shifting fielders 2-3 feet. You see the wicket and according to that you keep adjusting the field. I believe in my gut feeling.

“That’s why I keep telling the fielders to keep an eye on me. If there’s a dropped catch there will be no reaction (from me), just keep an eye on me.”

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