'Not as fit as I used to be' - MS Dhoni ahead of IPL 2025

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was retained as an uncapped player by Chennai Super Kings ahead of Indian Premier League 2025 mega auctions. This means that the former CSK captain will be seen playing for the franchise in the coming year amidst retirement rumors. But the veteran was not at his fittest in the previous years as a knee issue troubled him throughout the tournament. 

With the franchise aiming to claim its sixth title in 2025, the 43-year-old has shed light on his fitness. It is worth noting that the wicketkeeper-batter batted down the order throughout IPL 2024 and his strike rate hovered around 200. The Ranchi batter admitted that his fitness does not match his past versions but he added that he has kept himself busy with other sports to achieve the best results. 

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"I am not fit as I used to be, lot of efforts now needs to be there on what you are eating and I am doing very specific thing to be fit for cricket. We are not fast bowlers so our requirements are not that intense,” said Dhoni on Eurogrips Tyres YouTube channel. 

"What really helps me is playing a lot of sports in between eating and going to the gym. So whenever I get time I like to play a lot of different sports, may be tennis, badminton, football, that keeps me engaged. That’s the best way of being in touch with fitness,” he added. 

CSK had a forgettable outing in IPL 2024 as the defending champions could not make it to the playoffs under their new skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. They were outclassed by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their last league game, which turned out to be a virtual eliminator. Speaking of their auction outing, they managed to secure the services of their revered spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin and used RTM card for Kiwi opener Rachin Ravindra.