'Till the final, he never complained about his knee to anybody' - CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan opens up on MS Dhoni's knee injury

Kasi Viswanathan, Chief Executive Officer of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has revealed that Mahendra Singh Dhoni never complained about his knee ailment during the Indian Premier League 2023.

The legendary skipper, who led CSK to their record-equalling fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 2023, opted not to miss a single game this season, despite playing with a tightly strapped left knee in a cast. However, the 41-year-old underwent surgery earlier this month in Mumbai and is currently undergoing rehab.

Viswanathan has stated that the management never asked Dhoni if he wanted to play or not, noting that if he did not want to, he would have told them directly. He also said that the authority was well aware that it was difficult for him to play. He added that from that perspective, Dhoni deserved enormous praise.

"We never asked him things like 'do you want to play or do you want to sit out.' If he can't, he would've told us straightaway. We knew it was a struggle for him to play, but his commitment to the team, his leadership and how the team benefits everyone knows. From that perspective, you have to appreciate him," Viswanathan told ESPNcricinfo.

Dhoni has finished his surgery, he's quite happy, he's recovering: Viswanathan

Viswanathan continued by saying that till the IPL 2023 final, Dhoni had not complained to anyone about his knee. He never once complained, even when everyone could see him struggling to run. He added that the captain had informed them he would be having surgery following the final game against Gujarat Titans (GT).

"Till the final, he never complained about his knee to anybody. Though everyone knew, and you would've seen him struggling while running, he never complained even once. After the final, he said, 'okay, I'll have a surgery.' He's finished his surgery, he's quite happy, he's recovering," the CSK CEO added.

Viswanathan further said that the CSK management will not ask him whether he will be a part of the franchise in the upcoming season. He added that the former India captain would usually phone first and inform only CSK owner N Srinivasan, not anyone else.

Notably, during the post-match presentation of the summit clash of IPL 2023, the 41-year-old agreed that it was easier to call time on his IPL career after winning the title, but expressed his intentions to return for at least one more season if his body allows.