MS Dhoni heroics against Rajasthan Royals (RR) just came short as Sanju Samson-led side bagged a thrilling last-ball win on Wednesday in Indian Premier League 2023. Following the match at the MS Chidambaram Stadium, coach Stephen Fleming expressed injury concern regarding Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni. While MSD was batting, it was pretty noticeable for viewers that ‘Thala’ was limping hard as he struggled to run between the wickets. However, now CSK CRO Kasi Viswanathan has confirmed that Dhoni will be available to play against RCB.
Dhoni's injury was revealed by coach Stephen Fleming after the side's home match against Rajasthan Royals. "He is nursing a knee injury, which you can see in some of his movements. It's hindering him somewhat. His fitness has always been very professional. He comes a month before the tournament starts. He's a great player. We have never doubted him. He's just amazing," Fleming said. Having retired from international cricket, Dhoni is his own man and he can continue to play on despite not being 100 percent, something he often does for CSK. Former Australian batter Matthew Hayden who is part of the commentary team also noticed the limping MSD. He claimed he wasn’t aiming to raise any red flags, he believed that since they were host broadcasters, they shouldn’t be setting up misleading expectations for viewers. This is not the first time that MSD has been spotted in this IPL season, struggling with knee injury. During the IPL 2023 opener against Gujarat Titans, Dhoni was dealing with cramping in addition to a knee ailment.
