Dhoni confirms playing for Chennai in 2021 IPL
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will return to play for the Chennai Super Kings in the next edition of the Indian Premier League, the former India captain confirmed on Sunday.
The 39-year-old called time on an illustrious, trophy-laden career for the national team in August, having not played for India since their semifinal exit at the 50-overs World Cup last year.
Chennai captain Dhoni struggled to find form with the bat during the ongoing edition of the IPL with his side failing to make the playoffs for the first time in their history in the T20 tournament.
Speculation has been rife over the future of Dhoni, who led India to World Cup titles in both T20 and one-day formats, as three-time IPL winners Chennai find themselves rooted at the bottom of the eight-team league.
Asked at the toss if Sunday’s final league game against Kings XI Punjab was his last in Chennai’s yellow jersey, Dhoni gave a prompt reply: “Definitely not”.
Dhoni was criticised for his go-slow batting in this edition of the IPL.
“A lot depends on what BCCI decides about the auction. We need to slightly change our core group and looks for the next ten years. At the start of the IPL, we made a team that served us well for ten years. It’s time to hand it over to the next generation,” said Dhoni.
“We will come back strong. That’s what we are known for. We are eighth in the table but 14 points and we could have qualified. This is a season where only one team played well (Mumbai) or most teams played well. Whenever we have seen Rutu bat, he’s somebody who has done well in net sessions. But we were not able to see him in games. Then he got Covid, and even after 20 days he was not fit. He did not get time for us to gauge. That was one of the main reasons we kept going with Faf and Watson. It did not work. But that’s the point where you go with the experienced players,” he added.
Pundits have predicted an overhaul of Dhoni’s ageing team, which has many players aged over 35 including Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir and the skipper himself.
“MSD has said that he’ll be there in 2021. But there could be a couple of #CSK players who might not be there at all. In any team’s colours. #IPL,” cricketerturned-commentator Aakash Chopra wrote on Twitter.
The playoffs and the final of this year’s IPL, which is being held in the UAE due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 13th edition of the virushit tournament ends on November 10 and the next season is scheduled to start in April 2021. —