IPL 2024 will mark MS Dhoni’s return to action, who will be leading defending champions Chennai Super Kings.
MS Dhoni will once again return to action, with IPL 2024 scheduled to begin on March 22. Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener on March 22 and it could also be the 42-year-old’s swansong campaign.
MS Dhoni will return to action at IPL 2024.(AP)
But Dhoni’s childhood friend Paramjit Singh doesn’t think so and believes that the India legend might not retire. During a recent interview with OneCricket, Paramjit said, “I do not think this will be his (Dhoni’s) last season. He is still fit. I think he will play one or two more seasons. He will definitely play one more season. The reason is he is fit.”
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Recently, a practice video of Dhoni went viral, in which his bat had a ‘Prime Sports’ sticker, which belongs to a shop owned by Paramjit.
Paramjit had a big influence in Dhoni’s early cricket career, which helped him shape his future. His shop is located in Ranchi, and he played an important role in helping Dhoni get his first bat sponsor. Meanwhile, in the movie MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, his role in shaping Dhoni’s career was highlighted too.
CSK are the defending champions, having defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2023 final, winning by five wickets via DLS method. In the IPL 2023 final, GT posted 214/4 in 20 overs, setting a target of 215 runs. Sai Sudharsan was the topscorer with a knock of 96 off 47 balls. Meanwhile Matheesha Pathirana took two wickets for CSK.
Courtesy of the DLS method, CSK were set a target of 171 and reached 171/5 in 15 overs as Shivam Dube smacked an unbeaten 32* off 21 deliveries. On the other hand, Mohit Sharma took three wickets for GT. It was also CSK’s fifth title, making them the most successful IPL franchise. They have appeared in the final ten times.