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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni has been grinding hard to get into the groove ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in 2020, was last seen in action during IPL 2023. He led the team to a record-equalling five titles by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium.
The former Indian skipper had a sub-par campaign with the bat, aggregating just 104 runs in 16 matches. He demoted himself even to No.8 on a few occasions last year.
This time around, MS Dhoni has looked good with the bat so far in training. In a recent video that surfaced on the internet, the 42-year-old dispatched the bowlers to all parts of the ground. He even unleashed his trademark helicopter shot to dispatch the ball to the mid-wicket region.
Watch the clip here:
If there is anything to go by these short batting clips, MS Dhoni is looking in good nick. He is expected to entertain fans with his aggressive batting in what could be his last year in the IPL.
"MS Dhoni takes a very strong role" - Stephen Fleming on CSK skipper's role in pre-season camp
The CSK skipper is one of the few players to join the training camp early before the start of an IPL season.
Throwing light on the same, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming stated that Dhoni tries to make up for the lack of competitive cricket by extending his training time and the entire squad follows that.
"Given the age of some of the players and the amount of cricket they're playing, our pre-season has extended over the last few years. So MS takes a very strong role there and he needs some volume, so he goes in early and the players just gravitate towards that," Fleming was quoted as saying on CSK's website.
"It enables young Indian players to reconnect, and then international players who've had commitments, they tend to come in a bit later," he added. "The big benefits that our local Indian players get is, one, time, to spend with MS Dhoni, and two, a chance to get back into the system."
Defending champions CSK will get their IPL 2024 campaign underway at home against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday, March 22.
