Sam Curran is back in Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) yellow, and with it comes another opportunity to share the dressing room with India and CSK's legendary former captain, MS Dhoni. The England all-rounder previously played for CSK in 2020 and 2021 before a stint with Punjab Kings.
Curran is making the most out of his time at the Super Kings, and in an interview, revealed that Dhoni is participating in late-night practice sessions with aim to get back to his explosive best before the season. CSK begin their campaign on March 23 against Mumbai Indians.
“The other night I was batting with MS and Jadeja (Ravindra Jadeja) at 11:30 in the evening. I was thinking, where in the world would you do this? The lights were on, and we were just smacking balls everywhere,” Curran told Nasser Hussain on Sky Cricket.
“You have all the local players around the group, and they just sit there and watch MS. It is just the aura of the guy. He is so easy to chat with, and I think his calmness, I guess the big moments he’s been involved in. But he never seems to panic.”
The 25-year-old also praised Dhoni’s composure, a trait that has defined the former India captain’s legendary career. Whether guiding India to World Cup wins or leading CSK to five IPL titles, Dhoni has rarely let emotions dictate his decisions.
{{/usCountry}}The 25-year-old also praised Dhoni’s composure, a trait that has defined the former India captain’s legendary career. Whether guiding India to World Cup wins or leading CSK to five IPL titles, Dhoni has rarely let emotions dictate his decisions.
{{/usCountry}}“I feel like the emotion on his face, he never really shows too much,” Curran noted.
“And even in the hotel now, the guys always talk about how he leaves his room open, guys go and play FIFA with him, chat cricket, and stuff like that. He obviously can’t leave the hotel much because he just gets absolutely mobbed.”
Even though Dhoni passed the captaincy baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad last season, his presence remains integral to the squad.
IPL begins Saturday
Kolkata Knight Riders, the defending champions, will kickstart the 2025 edition with a blockbuster clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata. CSK will host the Mumbai Indians in the night match on double-header Sunday.