"He does not tell us" - CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan says MS Dhoni has kept mum on his IPL future
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan opened up on captain MS Dhoni's future as another season IPL season beckons. Viswanathan stated that the veteran keeper-batter is quite tight-lipped about his plans and is likely to reveal them to the fans directly.
There were massive speculations during IPL 2023 that it was to be Dhoni's final season. However, the Ranchi-born cricketer strongly hinted at returnING for the 2024 edition after leading the franchise to their 6th title but admitted that his knee has been an issue.
Speaking at the launch of Junior Super Kings event in Chennai, the CSK boss said he is unaware of Dhoni's future plans but the veteran is on track to play the full IPL season.
"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. 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."
While Dhoni has struggled with the bat in the last few IPL seasons, his captaincy has proved to be that X-factor. After the Yellow Army won their 5th IPL title this year, they became the joint-most successful IPL team along with Mumbai Indians.
"We pretty much got all of our targets" - Kasi Viswanathan
Viswanathan revealed that the auction went exactly as planned for them, claiming that Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman could prove handy on the Chennai wicket.
"I would say we pretty much got all of our targets. We were planning for Daryl Mitchell. We thought Mustafizur Rahman would be a good bet at our Chepauk wicket, with the side boundary. These were our thoughts but we were not sure whether we would be able get them. Luckily, it turned out to be a good auction for us this time."
He also revealed that they see Sameer Rizvi as an apt replacement for Ambati Rayudu.
"Sameer Rizvi was a targeted player for many of the franchises. We were probably a bit lucky in getting Rizvi. Basically, if you look at it, we are trying to get a replacement for Ambati Rayudu."
The 2024 edition is likely to begin on March 22.