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'The doctors have told me...': MS Dhoni gives 'November' timeline to question on 'retirement' ahead of IPL 2024
On Thursday, in an event in Bengaluru, Dhoni provided his fans with the million-dollar update on whether he will be returning for IPL 2024
Even amid the huge celebrations in Ahmedabad earlier in May after Chennai Super Kings lifted their fifth title in Indian Premier League, world cricket was left worried after watching MS Dhoni wearing a knee cap, limping in pain, as he joined the celebrations with a beaming smile. Throughout the 2023 season Dhoni was troubled by his knee injury and hence his future in IPL remains one of the biggest questions among fans who eagerly await another sight of the legendary captain in CSK colours for the 2024 season of the IPL.
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming had earlier revealed during the 16th IPL season that Dhoni had spent the better part of the pre-season camp recovering from his knee injury, and the trouble remained throughout the campaign as the skipper was often spotted batting with the knee cap and put it back on immediately after each match ended.
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A week after the end of the IPL season, Dhoni underwent a left knee surgery at the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai under renowned sports orthopaedic surgeon Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, who is also on the BCCI medical panel and had earlier performed surgeries on a number of top Indian cricketers, including Rishabh Pant. It was reportedly a keyhole surgery performed for arthroscopic repair and Dhoni has been recovering since then.
On Thursday, in an event in Bengaluru, Dhoni provided his fans with the million-dollar update on whether he will be returning for IPL 2024, revealing that the doctors told him he would feel better by November. “Knee has survived the operation, going through the rehab patch, the doctor told me you would feel much better by November. But no problem in day-to-day routine,” said the 42-year-old.
Earlier in May, after CSK beat Gujarat Titans in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the presenter's first question to Dhoni was about his possible participation in the 17th season of IPL and the former India captain admitted that while it would have been the ideal time to bid adieu to the sport and to his fans, he wanted to give himself another go, adding that much depended on the next 6-7 months.
"Circumstantially if you see, this is the best time to announce my retirement. But the amount of love and affection I have been shown wherever I have been this year, the easy thing would be for me to say "Thank you very much", but the tough thing for me is to work hard for another 9 months and come back and play at least 1 more season of IPL. A lot depends on the body, I have 6-7 months to decide. It will be more like a gift from my side, it's not easy for me but that's a gift. The way they've shown their love and affection, I think that's something I need to do for them," he had said.
