Ahead of his much-anticipated return to action in the Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni hit the nets to prepare for the upcoming season. Having announced his international retirement in August 2020, Dhoni is only active as a cricketer in the IPL. He led CSK to a record-equalling fifth title last season after a thrilling win over Gujarat Titans in the final in Ahmedabad. In a viral picture, Dhoni can be seen practicing with a bat that has the sticker of "Prime Sports". For the unversed, Prime Sports is a shop in Ranchi owned by Dhoni's friend Paramjit Singh.
Paramjit played a major role in helping Dhoni get his first bat sponsor. In the movie 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story' (2016), his role in shaping Dhoni's career was highlighted as well.
Keeping the curiosity intact among the fans regarding Dhoni's future after this season, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan said that only Dhoni could say if it is going to be his last edition.
"That I do not know. See, as far as the captain is concerned, he will answer you directly. He does not tell us what he is going to do," Viswanathan said as quoted by The Indian Express.
Dhoni went through a knee surgery in early June this year. Currently, the player is going through rehab and he is expected to be match-fit well ahead of IPL 2024.
"He is doing well now. He has started his rehab. He started working in the gym. And, probably in another 10 days he'll start working in the nets also," said Viswanathan.
In a bid to retain their Indian Premier League (IPL) title, CSK did some exceptional business at the Players Auction in Dubai on December 19. The MS Dhoni-led side roped in six players in total, with New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell as their most expensive buy, priced at Rs 14 crore. The five-time champions stunned everyone when they bought uncapped Indian batter Sameer Rizvi for Rs 8.4 crore. CSK resigned India all-rounder Shardul Thakur , following his release from KKR.
