He received plaudits for his on-field performance from one of his old teammates at CSK and India, Robin Uthappa, who likened his work ethic to that of the great Roger Federer. At the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 opening game between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Friday, March 22, MS Dhoni made his much-awaited return to competitive cricket.
On Friday, the most popular clubs in the league took on each other at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, which was packed to capacity. A large number of people also came to see the legendary MS Dhoni, who was playing competitively for the first time since the IPL 2023 final.
Dhoni, who had resigned as captain the night before the match, displayed outstanding reflexes behind the stumps when Faf du Plessis won the toss and decided to field first. With a loud cheer, the supporters recognized his effort as he dove to his left to block the RCB captain’s inside edge. By perfectly timing his jump, the 42-year-old even managed to collect a few bouncers. Additionally, Dhoni made a few catches and, as Dinesh Karthik attempted to take a quick run, ran out Anuj Rawat, 24, off the last delivery with a deft under-arm throw.
In the previous IPL season, Dhoni was dealing with a knee injury, but he persevered and guided his side to a record-tying fifth championship. Following the season, he had knee surgery, raising questions about whether he would play in the 2024 Indian Premier League. But on Friday, the veteran enjoyed the fruits of his labor as he diligently improved his fitness.
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He does, for sure. Right now, his knee appears to be spanking new. He is striding and running easily, which shows that he has put in the work behind the scenes. comparable to Roger Federer. No one is aware of his work ethic, but he consistently shows up for tournaments in excellent shape. Uthappa informed Jio Cinema, “MS is doing that.”
To stay in shape, MS Dhoni has taken up paddle tennis and tennis Robin Uthappa
In order to prepare for the 17th IPL season, Uthappa said that the former captain of India had been practicing his tennis skills.
“From the looks of things, he is in good health and appears to be hitting well. CSK will play MS Dhoni in a wheelchair, as I have stated previously. But he seems to be off to a good start. He’ll be pleased with it. In order to stay in shape, he has started playing tennis and paddle tennis. At the moment, he appears as gorgeous as gold, Uthappa remarked.
Following their 20-over restriction of du Plessis and co. to 173/6, the Super Kings went on to defeat RCB by six wickets with eight balls remaining. After his 4/29 in four overs during his debut for the Men in Yellow, Mustafizur Rahman was named Player of the Match.