Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni revealed that he has not taken a call on his IPL future after a thrilling two-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday. Dhoni said he will have another six to eight months to work hard on his fitness, and he would take a call on his future, depending on his body.
When eight runs were needed to win against KKR, Dhoni smashed a six on the first ball of the final over against Andre Russell. The CSK captain scored an unbeaten knock of 17 runs off 18 balls to help his team get over the line.
Meanwhile, Dhoni hasn’t been at his absolute best in the ongoing season as he has scored 180 runs in 12 matches at an average of 25.71 and a strike rate of 140.62. Earlier in the season, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming revealed Dhoni is not fit to bat for 10 overs and thus pushes himself down the batting order.
Speaking on the love he receives from the fans, Dhoni said in the post-match presentation, “That’s the love and affection I have got throughout, not to forget, I’m 43 and I have played for a long time. They don’t know when it will be my last year, it is a fact I play only 2 months a year. This IPL gets over, then I have to work for the next 6-8 months to see if my body is able to take this kind of pressure. Nothing to decide as of now, but the love and affection I get everywhere is excellent.”
This was CSK’s third win of the season, and Dhoni said it is crucial to be practical to find answers for the next edition.
Dhoni added, “It is only the third game we have won. It is good to be on the winning side. Quite a few things have not gone our way. What is important is to be practical. Identify what has gone wrong. We have 25 players who can fill and I was focusing on that. We want answers for the next year, which batter can slot in where and which bowler can bowl where according to the conditions.”
CSK will next take on the Rajasthan Royals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Monday.