‘Maybe he has got 3 more years…’: AB de Villiers makes sensational remark on ‘full of surprises’ MS Dhoni
On November 26, all franchises participating in the 2024 Indian Premier League announced their player retentions ahead of the auction in Dubai next month.
While Hardik Pandya’s trade to Mumbai Indians grabbed headlines, Chennai Super Kings also retained their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, all but confirming his participation for the upcoming edition. Dhoni had led the franchise to its record-equalling fifth title this year and many speculated that it would be a perfect farewell for the wicketkeeper-batter; however, Dhoni remained tight-lipped over his future and looks in good shape as the 2024 edition draws near.
Former South Africa batter AB de Villiers, who made a mark with his glorious IPL stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore, spoke about CSK’s decision to retain Dhoni, predicting that the side’s skipper might as well have “three more seasons” in him!
“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,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
Dhoni’s retirement from the franchise tournament has been a hot topic ever since 2020, when he hung his boots in international cricket. Since then, the iconic wicketkeeper-batter has led the Super Kings to two league titles.
While his batting reflexes have gone significantly slower, Dhoni did play important cameos for CSK in the 2023 edition, striking at a brilliant rate of 182.46 (104 runs in 16 innings; not out in 8 innings). Dhoni’s tactical acumen, however, remains strong as ever and that is, perhaps, the main reason for his retention.
In 2022, the Super Kings announced a change in captaincy when Ravindra Jadeja took over the leadership mantle. However, a series of poor performances saw Dhoni retaking the captaincy role mid-way through the season. The 42-year-old was, then, retained as skipper this year.