“To Get Them All Together …”: MS Dhoni Opens Up on What Makes the IPL Special

IPL 2024: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are set to take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the opening clash of the IPL 2024 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on March 22.

Before the opening game, CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni expressed his excitement about the diverse pool of players that IPL brings together. He highlighted how the tournament offers a unique opportunity for players around the globe to come together in a single team, allowing him to learn about their skills.

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The 42-year-old skipper has captained a record 226 IPL games, including 200 games for CSK, in his 16-year IPL career. Dhoni also boasts the most IPL wins as captain with 133 games, while leading CSK to a joint record of 5 titles.
Ahead of the Indian Premier League 2024, Dhoni spoke about what makes the IPL special in Star Sports.

“The Chennai team that played in 2008 was well-balanced and had a lot of all-rounders. The team had a vast pool of experienced players such as Matthew Hayden, Mike Hussey, Muttiah Muralitharan, Makhaya Ntini, and Jacob Oram. To get them all together in one dressing room, to get to know each other was a challenge,” Dhoni said.

“I always believed that when you’re leading a team, it is important to make sure you understand each other. Once you know the individual, you know his strength, his weaknesses, it becomes easier as a team to move in the right direction,” he said.

Recalling the rich history of CSK, Dhoni remembered the team’s inaugural in 2008, which boasted legends like Matthew Hayden, Mike Hussey, and Muttiah Muralitharan among others.

In a video shared by Star Sports on social media, Dhoni recalled the early years of the IPL.

“IPL allowed me to understand a lot of foreign players. I wasn’t somebody who talked a lot to the opposition players but IPL provided an opportunity to know about other players, to know what they think about cricket, to know their culture. All of that made IPL very interesting,” he added.

Despite playing his final international cricket in 2019, Dhoni has remained successful as a captain in the IPL. With his unmatched accolades as captain, Dhoni is the seventh leading run scorer in IPL history with 5,082 runs at an average of 38.79 and a strike rate of 135.91.

Apart from cricket, Dhoni and his wife Sakshi were spotted at the pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, adding a touch of glamour to the social scene.

Dhoni’s presence at such events highlights his status not just as a cricket icon but also as a prominent figure in the social circuit.

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