MS Dhoni: ‘No one cares about age if you play at a high level’

FORMER India captain MS Dhoni said he had to put his body through “six to eight months” of hard work to be fit for the Indian Premier League (IPL), which begins next month.

Chennai Super Kings retained Dhoni ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, with the franchise renewing their faith in the abilities of their ex-captain, who has led the side to five IPL titles.

However, having retired from international cricket nearly six years ago, Dhoni said it took a lot of hard work to be fit and ready for two months of IPL cricket.

“I only play a couple of months in a year, but I want to enjoy it the way I started playing, that’s something that keeps me going,” Dhoni, 43, said.

“But, of course, for that, I need to put in a lot of hard work for six to eight months, because IPL is one of the toughest tournaments.

“Nobody really cares about how old you are. If you’re playing at this level, the standard needs to be the same.” Dhoni, who led India to World Cup wins in 2011 (ODI) and 2007 (T20) along with the Champions Trophy triumph in 2013, last made his international appearance for the country in June 2019.

He said playing for India was his biggest motivation in his career.

“It has always been the country for me, because coming from where I came, not known for cricket as a state (Jharkhand), once I got a chance I wanted to contribute, because as I’ve said in the past also, not everybody gets a chance to represent India.

“I wanted to be part of a winning team that was trying to win each and every game – you’re trying to win the big tournaments, the bilateral series (and) so (on).

“My biggest motivation was that contribution to make India win.

“Now that I have retired from international cricket, I can’t say it’s the same, but for me now, it’s the love for the sport. It is hard work, but now, enjoying the game is the key aspect.

“When I’m out of the field, trying to be the best kind of person that I can be so that people remember me for (being) the good human being ... so that’s something that I always had in my life (that) this is what I am in person.”

Dhoni recalled his days as a child in school, when 4pm was “dedicated sports time”, with cricket being the primary game and football as an alternative during poor weather.

He also stressed the importance for young cricketers to set clear priorities for their career.

Drawing from his own experience, he explained how he made cricket his sole focus during his playing days, carefully managing his routine, including sleep schedule, to optimise his performance on the field.

While other aspects of life, such as friendships and entertainment were important, there was an appropriate time for everything, and recognising this was crucial for success, he added.