MS Dhoni will play for as long as he can keep wicket: Former India cricketer & teammate Robin Uthappa

MS Dhoni's knee issue: Former India captain and long-time CSK skipper MS Dhoni had consulted orthopaedic surgeon Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, and has had knee surgery since the last season of IPL. (Image: @CSKFansOfficial/Twitter)

Can MS Dhoni's knees take the rigours of another long T20 season, that is, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 starting on March 22? No pain is no gain for a sportsman who puts in the hard yard to shine in his discipline. Every athlete goes through injury issues. The mind will never agree, but the body may not be able to pull through in competitive sport for any prolonged period. Mahendra Singh Dhoni had struggled with his knee in the IPL season last year. The ODI World Cup-winning captain had played the entire 2023 season with heavy strapping on his left knee. He did not look uncomfortable while keeping wickets, but there was visible discomfort while running between the wickets. So, he batted as low as No. 8.

MS Dhoni, who led the Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title, consulted renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala and had a surgery at the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. Though he is looking at a fresh start in IPL 2024, there are murmurs about his possible farewell season, considering the challenges he may face with his body at age 42.

Robin Uthappa, his India and CSK teammate, feels Dhoni will be around as long as he can keep wickets.

"CSK would let him play even if he was on a wheelchair! Get off the wheelchair, bat, and then go back. But I don't think the batting is the issue for him. It's the wicketkeeping. The knees are getting worn out, and he loves keeping. So, because he won't be able to stand there and add value, he will probably move on from the game than for any other reason,” said Uthappa on JioCinema.

Dhoni only plays the IPL now, which is once a year. He works around his body to be fit for two months. The love from the people in Chennai gets him going. "The easy thing for me to say is thank you and retire. But the hard thing to do is to work hard for nine months and try to play one more IPL season. The body has to hold up. But the amount of love I have received from CSK fans, it would be a gift for them to play one more season.

"The way they have shown their love and emotion, it's something I need to do for them. It's the last part of my career," said Dhoni after the last IPL final in Ahmedabad against Gujarat Titans.

Dhoni is back with his distinctive long hair, and he padded up at the CSK nets last week, which created a buzz on social media.