Former India batsman Navjot Singh Sidhu has hailed MS Dhoni for his longevity in the game. Currently 42, MS Dhoni is gearing up to play in his seventeenth season of the Indian Premier League this year.
Not many had expected him to play in the tournament for so long after he announced his retirement from international cricket in 2020. However, the former India skipper has continued to surprise the cricketing world with his sheer commitment to the game. At an age where most of the cricketers cannot even think about playing the game professionally, MS Dhoni is leading Chennai Super Kings.
The start of almost every IPL season since 2021 is dominated by talks about MS Dhoni’s retirement. However, the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman has continued to deliver on the field and is in no mood to hang up his boots. In the last three seasons, he led CSK to two titles and will be eyeing another one this year.
In IPL 2023, he played through pain due to a knee issue but it did not affect his commitment to the team. Throughout the season, he kept the wickets and did a remarkable job before undergoing knee surgery soon after the IPL final. And even after the surgery, he has decided to play at least one more season in the tournament:
Navjot Singh Sidhu on MS Dhoni’s longevity:
Heaping praise on MS Dhoni, Navjot Singh Sidhu said that the former India skipper’s achievement is nothing less than a miracle. The former cricketer-turned-commentator further said that he had never seen someone perform on the cricket field like MS Dhoni at the age of 42.
“Look, it is a miracle, what he has done. He would be 42. I have never seen anyone. There was this guy, Brian close who played at 41. Once you are not in the swing of things, once you are not playing cricket continuously, you tend to lose out on things. Look at what happened to Ricky Ponting, look at what happened to Matthew Hayden, someone like Tendulkar. It’s not easy to go into hibernation like a bear for six-seven months, and comeback, pick up the bat and stand there. It’s impossible,” Navjot Singh Sidhu told India Today.
“I still remember Madhavrao Scindia’s son wanted me to play a match. I had not touched a bat, because there was no motivation for me. The only motivation was to play for India. After 15 years, the same shouts were there ‘Sixer Sidhu, Sixer Sidhu’. But, when I held the bat, I realised that there was no way I could hit that ball. So, the first landed on my stumps.
“But, you look at Dhoni. How many years has he not been in the swing of things? Yet, he comes as if nothing has changed. Therefore, this adds to his greatness, to his mental fortitude. He is very strong mentally. More so, he looks supremely fit at 42. And there’s an easy case also, he is an expert at coming in when 3-4 overs are remaining. If you are fit and you’re prepared to play the game and all those things, I feel it’s a miracle that someone like MS Dhoni still stands like a Rock of Gibraltar when others have fallen like nine pins. Here is someone who is an exception. This man is an exception to the rule. He is a superstar, a man with paranormal ability,” he added.
Meanwhile, MS Dhoni would be eyeing history in IPL 2024. He can become the first-ever captain to lead a team to six IPL titles. With the final to be played in Chennai this year, the CSK captain would be desperate to lift the trophy in front of the home fans.
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