Ruturaj Gaikwad, the captain of the Chennai Super Kings, expressed his amazement at the “remarkable” ability of the great MS Dhoni to continue playing for the club at the age of 43 and expressed his optimism that he would provide “crucial knocks” for his team throughout this IPL.

Similar to his IPL performance from the previous year, when he often batted at No. 7 or 8, MS Dhoni would probably bat in the bottom order for CSK. Many new players have joined the club, and sometimes they find it difficult to hit the ball as well as he is at the moment. Therefore, it undoubtedly motivates many of us, including myself,” Gaikwad told the media the night before CSK’s first IPL game against the Mumbai Indians.

Therefore, I believe it is amazing what he is achieving at 43. Over the last two years, we have been adhering to a set of strengths. Therefore, I don’t believe anything will change, and I hope he will keep giving us those important knocks,” he said. According to Gaikwad, Dhoni has been preparing in the nets with the specific function of a hard-hitter in the lower order in mind.

“I believe that his training is mostly focused on his goals and his potential position in the IPL. It’s quite straightforward, with the main goals being to get as many sixes as you can, get the swing correct, and stay in the greatest possible form.

“I never thought he was out of shape, and that’s what I think he was trying to do at first,” he added.