As Dhoni plays 18th IPL season at 43, Harbhajan Singh reveals secret to CSK captain’s longevity – The Financial Express

MS Dhoni is set to make his 18th appearance in the Indian Premier League (IPL), marking a remarkable 25 years in cricket since his senior debut for Bihar in the Ranji Trophy in January 2000. Despite being 42 years old last season, Dhoni remained a key figure for Chennai Super Kings, scoring 161 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 220.54 and an average of 53.66 across 11 innings. His sharpness behind the stumps remained intact as well.
Recently, Dhoni’s longtime teammate Harbhajan Singh opened up about a conversation he had with the legendary wicketkeeper-batter, shedding light on what keeps him going at this stage of his career.
“I met him at a wedding recently, and he looked incredibly fit,” Harbhajan shared on ESPNCricinfo. “I asked him, ‘Isn’t it tough, what you’re doing?’ He responded, ‘It is hard, but it’s the only thing I love doing. I enjoy it. As soon as the clock hits 4 or 5 in the evening, I can’t wait to go out and play. I just want to do it.’ He added that as long as you still have that hunger, you can keep going.”
Dhoni retired from international cricket in August 2020, with his last match for India being the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup. Since then, the IPL has been his sole platform for playing professional cricket. Harbhajan acknowledged that focusing only on the IPL and not playing other formats of cricket might be challenging, but Dhoni’s approach to preparation has played a crucial role in his longevity.
“It’s tough not playing cricket throughout the year, but he’s showing how it’s done. He must be doing something that the others aren’t,” Harbhajan stated. “Dhoni doesn’t just survive; he dominates. He faces a significant number of deliveries during his extensive practice sessions leading up to the IPL, often spending 2-3 months working on his game.”
As MS Dhoni gears up for his 18th IPL season, his passion for the game and his unwavering dedication to fitness and preparation continue to keep him at the top of his game.
Global and domestic developments led to a 1.5% surge in benchmark indices on Tuesday. Positive US retail sales data and India’s record-low trade deficit raised expectations of rate cuts, boosting market sentiment. Sensex and Nifty recorded significant gains, with all sectoral indices ending in the green. ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank were the top contributors, and foreign investors turned net buyers.

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