If there is one image Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans aren’t used to seeing, it’s MS Dhoni looking uncomfortable on a cricket field. Which is why what unfolded at Chepauk during a recent training session has set off a wave of concern.
Dhoni, now 44, was spotted walking with a noticeable limp as he made his way around the ground. It wasn’t hugely worrying, but it was enough. Enough for fans to start asking questions. Enough to remind everyone that even someone like Dhoni isn’t immune to time.
MS Dhoni’s limp causes concern for CSK
Those present at the session noticed it immediately. The movement wasn’t as free, the steps a touch careful. Dhoni wasn’t in visible pain, but he wasn’t moving like the Dhoni people remember either. Yes, the pads were on but there was something not smooth with the walk.
To be fair, this isn’t entirely new. Over the past few IPL seasons, Dhoni has managed his body carefully. He has rarely batted up the order, often coming in late, almost as a finisher or even more of a guiding presence. Last season, he scored 196 runs in 14 matches and even captained the side after Ruturaj Gaikwad’s campaign-ending finger injury. The year before, it was 161 in 14 games.
CSK deal with many problems
While Dhoni remains synonymous with the franchise, the difference this season is that CSK have options. The arrival of Sanju Samson gives them a proper wicketkeeping alternative, something they haven’t really had in recent years. It allows the management to be flexible with Dhoni, whether that means managing his workload, using him more selectively, or even easing him into games. There’s also a hard-hitting Urvil Patel.
There is also the bigger picture hanging in the background. Talk around this being Dhoni’s final IPL season isn’t new. Former players like Irfan Pathan and Robin Uthappa have hinted at it. And moments like this only add to that conversation. What makes it more worrying for Chennai Super Kings is the growing injury list. Nathan Ellis has already been ruled out of the entire season with a persistent hamstring issue, while Matthew Short is set to miss the opening games due to a thumb fracture. Ellis was supposed to be the X-factor of CSK’s bowling. Now, they lack experience, especially in death overs.
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