Dubai: Former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s fitness was a concern ahead of the Indian Premier League Season 16 and his participation in the opener against Gujarat Titans was in doubt.
However, top Chennai Super Kings official has allayed the doubts and confirmed that the talismanic skipper is fit to play the game at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.
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“MSD is fine and is playing the match,” Kasi Viswanathan, CEO, Chennai Super Kings, told Gulf News.
Several news media outlets had on Thursday reported that the 41-year-old Dhoni is likely to miss the today’s match due to a niggle on his knee he sustained during a training session in Chennai and the doubts grew louder after the dashing finisher missed the nets on the eve of the match.
CSK CEO’s comments only reaffirmed what he had told PTI on Thursday. "As far as I am concerned, the skipper is 100 per cent playing. I don't know about any other development."
Focus on preparations
It is important for the four-time champions to start on a positive note in the new season, after finishing ninth in the expanded 10-team league last year. Kasi Viswanathan was confident about the team’s run this season and felt the presence of England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who guided the Three Lions to two World Cup triumphs, will be a big addition.
“The team is confident of doing well and have always followed a process, which they normally do before each season begins,” the team CEO said on the preparations that has been behind the four-time champions’ success and popularity among the fans in the past 13 seasons.
“As far as Stokes is concerned, all are aware of his abilities and we are looking at him doing his best, as he always does, for the team that he plays.”
