How long before M.S. Dhoni recovers from knee surgery?

MS Dhoni will have an extensive rehab programme post-recovery. It will help him gauge his fitness levels and eventually take a call on his availability for IPL 2024. (File photo: PTI)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni guided Chennai Super Kings to their fifth Indian Premier League title last week. And the former India skipper played with a knee injury. He batted lower down the order at No. 8 to negate the challenges of running between the wickets and did not bend too low while keeping.

It did not restrict his movements as he was lightning-fast behind the wickets, earning three stumping dismissals this season. He relied on his power-hitting abilities in the last 15-18 balls and finished with a strike rate reading 182.46. Overall, he could manage only 104 runs. The brisk 32 off 17 balls against Rajasthan Royals had flashes of his prime years.

After the final against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Dhoni flew to Mumbai to consult renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, who is on the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) medical panel and has performed surgeries on top international cricketers, the latest being Rishabh Pant earlier this year. According to reports, the former India captain and World Cup winner of 2011 underwent arthroscopic knee surgery at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai on Thursday.

An arthroscopic knee surgery uses a tiny camera to look for problems in the knee. Dhoni had been experiencing knee pain for some time. Last year, Dhoni visited an Ayurvedic doctor, Vandan Singh Khervar, in the forests of Lapung, which is nearly 70 km from Ranchi, to treat knee pain.

Dhoni has promised his fans another season of IPL, and he has ample time to recover and return to action in full tilt. How long will it take for the injury to heal?

Four to six weeks

Ashish Kaushik, former physiotherapist at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, who has worked with Dhoni closely, says knee recovery depends on the kind of surgery and the individual's body. "It depends on the kind of surgery. I heard there was a discussion around the clean-up of the knee. If it is knee arthroscopy, it takes around four to six weeks, but if it is anything more than that, it will take longer," he said.

Dhoni will have an extensive rehab programme post-recovery. It will help him gauge his fitness levels and eventually take a call on his availability for IPL 2024. Kaushik says the champion cricketer's recovery could be faster than usual because he can bear the pain. "Dhoni understands his body and is very smart in managing injuries. In 20-odd years of my career, I haven't seen someone with such a high pain tolerance. He can manage his body well," he said.

Mind and body

Renowned strength and conditioning coach Ramji Srinivasan, who was with the Indian cricket team during the 2011 World Cup, echoed Kaushik, citing Dhoni's strength, both physical and mental. "It is all about getting into rehab and how well it goes. He is one of the fittest cricketers with a mind and body connection. It is his mind that helps him overcome injuries. Usually, it takes about six weeks to be pain-free, but it can be earlier for a player like M.S. Dhoni because of his immense strength," he said.

Srinivasan has also worked in pre-IPL camps with CSK. He has often underlined Dhoni's natural power and that he was never a hardcore gym boy. "He always knew the component of fitness that needed attention," he added.

Dhoni was carrying a dodgy knee ahead of the IPL. It got aggravated after a dive to save a boundary off a Deepak Chahar delivery at the opening game against the Titans.

What's next for Dhoni?

Dhoni has been leading CSK since the first season of the IPL in 2008. Besides the T20 World Cup in 2007 and the World Cup in 2011, he guided India to the Champions Trophy title in 2013. India has not won an ICC tournament since.

Though Dhoni has retired from international cricket, Team India will value his presence in the dressing room. He was the mentor at the T20 World Cup in 2021 in the United Arab Emirates. CSK, of course, would not mind him leading the franchise for another season. The man, who will turn 42 in July, has a golden touch.