Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Former Australia captain and one of the greats of the game Ricky Ponting made a shocking revelation seeing former India skipper MS Dhoni being retained by the five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK). It is to be noted that the legend has been retained by CSK as an uncapped player along with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube and Sri Lanka fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana.
Moreover, Dhoni was retained for INR 4 Crore after the wicketkeeper-batter made himself available for the next edition of the tournament last month. Highlighting on this decision of MS Dhoni, Ricky Ponting made a shocking comment while highlighting on his few past seasons in the IPL.
They might not get him through the whole season: Ricky Ponting
Dhoni, who has been playing for Chennai for a long time now, leading them to five IPL titles, has been struggling with injuries off late. Seeing his age and his fitness, Ponting while speaking on the recent episode of The ICC Review said, “Two seasons ago he probably has his worst season, but then last year again, he bounced back into really impacting some games like the MS Dhoni of old.”
He further added that CSK in order to keep him fit, might opt to rest him occasionally to manage his workload. “I think it will be exactly the same now…. they might not get him through the whole season. They might think about leaving him out for a game and resting him up here and there to make sure that they’re getting the best out of him,” he added.
The former Australian cricketer also highlighted the value MS Dhoni holds, not only as a player but also as a mentor and leader. “Any team that he’s in, whether he’s captain or not, he’s always going to be a mentor and a leader around that group, whether he’s playing, whether he’s sitting on the sidelines, that’s just who he is… he’s crucial to Chennai, for that leadership that he brings on and off the field,” Ponting added.
“The best players are the ones that are able to maintain such a high level for a long time… for 10, 12, 14-year careers,” he concluded putting his suggestions forward to utilise the legend properly in the IPL 2025.
