Former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers lavished rich praise on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He said that the keeper-batter is like a diesel engine that never stops.
The legacy of MS Dhoni in the Indian Premier League is unmatched. The keeper-batter has been the legend of the game and the kind of impact that he has had in the league is unmatchable. The Chennai Super Kings skipper has achieved almost everything and is still going strong.
MS Dhoni has made Chennai Super Kings a dominating force in the IPL. He has guided the team to the five titles in the league and is the joint most successful skipper in the tournament alongside Rohit Sharma, who captained Mumbai from 2013 to 2023 in the league.
MS Dhoni will be captaining Chennai Super Kings in the league in the upcoming edition of the league. Even though he is in his 40s, he is as fit as any youngster there is a chance that he might end his career after the IPL 2024. There were a lot of rumours about it last year but he pushed himself for fans.
AB de Villiers while talking about Chennai Super Kings stated that they played incredible cricket last year. He hailed the keeper-batter as an incredible player, what an incredible captain and opined on his future. Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, he explained:
“They played some incredible cricket last year. There were a lot of rumours about MS Dhoni finishing up last year, but that was not the case, ladies and gentlemen. He would be back again. Will this be his final season? No one knows. He just seems to be this diesel engine that never ends. He keeps running. What an incredible player, what an incredible captain.”
AB de Villiers further added that the presence of MS Dhoni, the mind of Stephen Fleming, and senior players make them an intimidating team to play against. He added:
“I believe it’s through their presence, it’s through the leadership of MSD, a calm coach in Stephen Fleming, senior players in Ravi[ndra] Jadeja and others who have set this incredible culture alive. They are a very intimidating team to play against. They are never easy to beat.”
There’s almost no pressure on MS Dhoni and his troops – AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers further pointed out why Chennai Super Kings is the successful unit in the IPL. He highlighted that the MS Dhoni-led side always finds a way to compete.
He added that even though CSK would want to defend the title but there wouldn’t be any pressure on them. He explained:
“That is always a great characteristic of a very successful unit, of a very successful franchise. When you are playing well, it’s, ‘Yes, no problem, no one’s gonna stop us’ but when you are not playing so well – they always find a way to compete.
“They won last year. Yes, they want to defend their title but there’s almost no pressure on MSD and his troops and I think that makes them dangerous. Can they go back-to-back? They certainly have the ability.”
Chennai Super Kings will play the tournament opener of the IPL 2024. They will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore at Chepauk Stadium on 22nd March.
