"Nobody really cares about how old you are" - Indian legend on playing in the IPL

Former India captain and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni has explained that he can play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) even though he is 43 because nobody really cares about a player's age in the T20 league. He, however, added that he puts in a lot of hard work for six to eight months to prepare for the IPL - the biggest T20 league in the world.

Dhoni has featured in each and every edition of the IPL since its inception in 2008. When the CSK franchise was suspended for a couple of season, the veteran keeper-batter represented the now defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) before returning to lead the Chennai franchise. Having guided CSK to five title triumphs, he handed over the reins of the team to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of IPL 2024.

The Indian legend was retained by CSK as an uncapped player for ₹4 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Speaking at a Garuda Aerospace event in Mumbai on Friday, February 21, Dhoni opened up on how he manages to continue turning out in the IPL even though he last played international cricket in 2019. The former India captain said (as quoted by PTI):

"I only play a couple of months in a year, but I want to enjoy it the way I started playing, that's something that keeps me going. But, of course, for that, I need to put in a lot of hard work for six to eight months because IPL is one of the toughest tournaments. Nobody really cares about how old you are. If you're playing at this level, the level needs to be the same."

Looking at Dhoni's record in the IPL, he has featured in 264 matches and has scored 5,243 runs at an average of 39.13 and a strike rate of 137.54, with 24 half-centuries, which includes a best of 84*.

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"For me, the biggest motivation was representing my country" - MS Dhoni

Reflecting on his amazing career, Dhoni stated that playing for the nation was always his biggest motivation. He added that, having retired from international cricket, he continues playing for the love of the sport. The stumper said:

"When I started playing international cricket, for me the biggest motivation was representing my country. It has always been the country for me because coming from where I came, not known for cricket as a state, once I got a chance I wanted to contribute, I wanted to be part of a winning team that was trying to win each and every game.

"For me, my biggest motivation was that contribution to make India win. Now that I've retired from international cricket, I can't say it's the same, but for me now, it's the love for the sport. It's hard work, but for me now, enjoying the game is the key aspect," the 43-year-old added.

Dhoni is regarded as one of India's greatest white-ball captains ever. Under him, the Men in Blue won the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. He was also at the helm when India won the 2007-08 Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia.