• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Not Looking Too Comfortable Aakash Chopra Issues Warning On Ms Dhonis Fitness For Ipl

'Not Looking Too Comfortable' - Aakash Chopra Issues Warning On MS Dhoni's Fitness For IPL

image-lpgzupyjMS Dhoni (X.com)

MS Dhoni, a monumental figure in Indian cricket, retired from international cricket a couple of years ago. However, the wicketkeeper captain's place in fans' hearts is not yet displaced.

It is mainly because the former captain has yet to call it quits on his franchise cricket career with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Dhoni led CSK to glory in his extensive association with the storied franchise. Most recently, he led Chennai to their sixth IPL title last season.

However, the skipper visibly struggled to keep his fitness in order throughout the 2023 IPL season. From back sprain to knee injury, MS barely made it out of the tournament in one piece. 

However, despite setbacks, the 42-year-old refuses to call it quits. In the latest move, which brought a sigh of relief to the Indian fans, CSK retained MS Dhoni for the upcoming IPL season. 



Dhoni Unfit To Play IPL?

Having said that, despite retention and Dhoni's commitment towards his beloved franchise, the ex-Indian cricketer and commentator raised significant doubt on the skipper's availability for the entirety of the 2024 IPL season.

On a show aired on Jio Cinema, Chopra said MS is having issues with his knee. He cited the example of a video doing rounds of social media wherein Dhoni is seen walking down the stairs with support. 

"He’s facing some issues with his knee. I saw some videos of his from Dehradun where he was climbing down the stairs but not looking too comfortable," said Aakash Chopra.

Thus, Chopra fears the knee issue might not allow the skipper to last till the end of the grueling season. While Dhoni would love to play until his body wears down, the skipper must keep his knee in check and take a call accordingly. 

"So hopefully he will keep a close watch on his knees. Last season, too, there were doubts, but he’s proved everyone wrong time and again. So, I’ll refrain from saying anything about Dhoni. He will decide when to leave," added Chopra.

To those unversed, MS Dhoni underwent knee surgery after the conclusion of the 2023 IPL season. He has been in rehab since then. 

The wicketkeeper batter did address his future uncertainty on multiple events. But Dhoni always downplayed the question, saying he would take a final call after assessing his health conditions.

It is safe to say that MS Dhoni's participation in the upcoming IPL season is still uncertain.