"Maybe he has got three more to go, who knows?" - AB de Villiers on MS Dhoni's IPL future
AB de Villiers recently expressed his delight after seeing MS Dhoni's name in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) retention list ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction.
De Villiers pointed out how it was widely speculated that IPL 2023 would be Dhoni's last appearance in the competition. The former South African legend, however, opined that it is never easy to predict the legendary skipper's next move.
Speaking about Dhoni's availability, de Villiers stated on his YouTube channel:
"I see that man's name on the retention list, and it just makes me happy. There was a lot of talk about it in the last season about whether it was going to be his last season. He is moving on to 2024 to play another IPL season. With him, he is always full of surprises. Maybe he has got three more to go, who knows? But It is just great to see his name on there."
MS Dhoni played in all of CSK's IPL 2023 matches despite a troubled knee. He led them to their fifth title as Chennai beat the Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets (DLS method) in a closely contested final.
Dhoni underwent successful knee surgery after the tournament and is now set to lead the Chennai-based side in the forthcoming edition as well.
"They are very good at picking up released players" - AB de Villiers expects CSK to target Shahrukh Khan at IPL 2024 auction
Tamil Nadu batter Shahrukh Khan was released by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) prior to the IPL 2024 mini-auction. AB de Villiers opined that CSK could be tempted to go after the swashbuckling batter.
The former South African captain suggested that on many occasions, the careers of released players have earned a new lease of life with their stint with CSK.
"He (Shahrukh Khan) is a strong player and is pretty consistent," de Villiers stated. "I am very sure some of the teams will be very keen to get him over there. He hits the ball a long way as well. That's where CSK stand out. They are very good at picking up released players.
"Guys who seem to be forgotten, all of a sudden play in the yellow jersey and are in the top five run-scorers list or wicket-taking list."
Chennai released eight players from their squad and will go into the IPL 2024 auction with a remaining purse of ₹32.1 crore.