Dhoni: Embracing the joy of cricket in my final years on the field

The former India captain has affirmed his intention to prolong his cricketing career for the foreseeable future. Ever since announcing his retirement from international cricket in 2019, Dhoni has kept his future plans closely guarded, leading to speculation each IPL season on how much longer he will don the Chennai Super Kings jersey.

In Mumbai on Wednesday for the launch of the app, ‘DHONI’, the star wicketkeeper-batter had some answers, for now at least, ahead of a new IPL season starting next month.

“As a cricketer, I always wanted to perform for the Indian team... Now I’ve retired since 2019, so it’s been quite some time. What I’ve been doing in the meantime is, (that) I just want to enjoy cricket for the last whatever few years that I will be able to play,” Dhoni said.

No longer the captain of five-time champions CSK — he passed the baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad — Dhoni made sporadic but special appearances with the bat in the 2024 IPL. Coming down the order, he came up with short and impactful innings across the 14 matches, scoring 161 runs striking at 220.55. The 43-year-old from Ranchi said he now wants to play the game like he did as a kid.

“I want to enjoy it how I did as a child, when I was in school, when I lived in a colony. I want to play with the same kind of innocence. Easier said than done, but that’s what I have been trying to do,” he said.

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