'MS Dhoni said he'll rest for 3 weeks and then...': CSK CEO's scintillating update after MSD vows to return for IPL 2024

Shortly after Chennai Super Kings won their fifth IPL title, captain MS Dhoni made a blockbuster announcement. He said that winning the IPL and announcing his retirement would be the perfect way to sign off but promised to return for at least one more season provided his body holds up. Dhoni made hearts stop when he started off saying, "Circumstantially if you see, this is the best time to announce my retirement…" before continuing "… but the amount of love and affection I have been shown wherever I have been this year, the easy thing would be for me to say 'Thank you very much', but the tough thing for me is to work hard for another 9 months and come back and play at least 1 more season of IPL."

Dhoni's words made the Ahmedabad crowd go berserk but at the same time it meant one more year of grind and hard work. Dhoni played through the IPL 2023 with a knee injury, for which he underwent surgery. At 41, although Dhoni's knee has been surgically repaired and while he is feeling alright, there is plenty of time between now and next March for Dhoni to take a final call, informs CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan.

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"Actually, he told us immediately after the final is over, he'll fly to Mumbai, have surgery and go back to Ranchi for rehab. In Mumbai, after Ruturaj's wedding [on June 4], I visited him. It was a courtesy call. He's quite comfortable. He said he'll rest for three weeks and then start his rehab. And like he said, he's not going to play until January-February. We don't need to remind him about all that," he told ESPNCricinfo.

Only time will tell how, when and where Dhoni resumes practice, although it is safe to say that it won't be anytime soon. Having announced his retirement from international cricket in August of 2020, IPL is the only tournament Dhoni plays, and the longer you are away from cricket, it makes returning to action that much more difficult. This year too, the first visuals of Dhoni hitting the nets emerged in January, two months before the IPL and going further, his approach is expected to remain the same.

"He knows what to do, how to go about it, so we aren't going to ask him 'what are you going to do, how' etc. He will inform us on his own. Whatever he's doing, he'll call first and inform only Mr N Srinivasan, not anyone else. Factually, he'll be straightforward with him. From him, we'll get the information that this is what he's doing. It's been this way since 2008. That's how it will continue," added Viswanathan.