Former South African skipper AB de Villiers was recently overjoyed to discover MS Dhoni’s name on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) retention list ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction. The 42-year-old led Chennai Super Kings to the fifth IPL title in 2023.
The Chennai Super Kings have retained the legendary Indian captain before the IPL 2024 retention deadline. MS Dhoni made a lovely announcement after winning the championship that resonated with his fans and the cricket community.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ab de Villiers mentioned how it was widely assumed that Dhoni’s final appearance in the IPL would be in 2023 and believes that predicting the renowned skipper’s next move is impossible.
“I see that man’s name on the retention list, and it just makes me happy. There was a lot of talk about it in the last season about whether it was going to be his last season. He is moving on to 2024 to play another IPL season. With him, he is always full of surprises. Maybe he has got three more to go, who knows? But It is just great to see his name on there,” Ab de Villiers said.
Despite a sore knee, MS Dhoni participated in all of CSK’s IPL 2023 matches. In the high-octane final, he led them to their sixth triumph, as Chennai overcame the Gujarat Titans by five wickets (DLS method). MS Dhoni will play for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) again in the IPL 2024, ending months of doubt.
I Am Very Sure Some Of The Teams Will Be Very Keen To Get Shahrukh Khan – Ab de Villiers
AB de Villiers believes that Chennai Super Kings may be interested in picking up local player Shahrukh Khan, a hard-hitting finisher, during the upcoming IPL auction 2024, and feels that Chennai Super Kings could help bring out the best in him during the cash-rich league.
Additionally, he thinks that the five-time champions have a knack for giving players a new lease of life during their time with CSK.
“He (Shahrukh Khan) is a strong player and is pretty consistent, I am very sure some of the teams will be very keen to get him over there. He hits the ball a long way as well. That’s where CSK stands out. They are very good at picking up released players”.
“Guys who seem to be forgotten, all of a sudden play in the yellow jersey and are in the top five run-scorers list or wicket-taking list,” Ab de Villiers added.
In an unexpected decision, Shahrukh was released by Indian Premier League (IPL) team Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. In 2023, he scored 156 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 165.96 and could be a valuable addition, especially in the absence of Ambati Rayudu.