'Playing Pickleball for Two Hours Non-stop': Irfan Pathan Gives Major Update on MS Dhoni's Fitness

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni is set to participate in the 17th edition of the IPL. Ahead of the tournament, Irfan Pathan has predicted Dhoni’s role in the CSK squad.

The former India allrounder feels it will be similar to what has been happening over the last couple of years.

“His (Dhoni’s) role has changed in the past two years. He comes in lower-order, plays lesser deliveries but hits the big shots, the strike rate is high. It’s a small innings but a memorable one. I think there won’t be much of a change in that this year,” Pathan said on Star Sports.

Pathan revealed he met Dhoni ‘a few days ago’ and added the legendary captain’s knee looks better.

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Dhoni played through a knee injury in last year’s IPL campaign and he underwent a knee surgery during the off-season.

“I met with him a few days ago, he was playing pickleball for two hours non-stop. His knee was fit as it ever was. It’s an exciting time for fans; he now has his vintage old look. Will we get the vintage old Dhoni too?” Irfan said.

Dhoni has led the Chennai-based franchise to 10 finals in the competition’s 16-year history. Out of those finals, the former India captain has secured the title on five occasions with his last triumph coming in 2023.

Last years, Dhoni became the first player to lead a franchise in more than 200 IPL games.

Apart from his brilliant captaincy record, Dhoni has also put up some staggering individual numbers in the tournament as a player. He is the seventh-highest run-scorer in the competition’s history with 5082 runs in 250 matches.

In 2023, Dhoni led CSK into the final against 2022 finalists Gujarat Titans. The Hardik Pandya-led side smashed 214 runs in that match in the first innings.

CSK’s star allrounder Ravindra Jadeja memorably scored 10 runs in the last two balls of the contest to seal the deal.

Dhoni will be featuring in CSK’s tournament opener against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) tomorrow, March 22. The blockbuster clash will take place at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.