Dhoni links up with CSK in Chennai ahead of IPL 2024

MS Dhoni has arrived in Chennai for their preparatory camp, 17 days before the new IPL season will kick off at Chepauk on March 22.

Having undergone surgery on his left knee in June, after leading Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title last season, Dhoni will return to action this IPL. Dhoni, 42, had played the entire IPL 2023 season with a heavily strapped knee and though he was swift behind the stumps, he often struggled in front of it while running between the wickets.

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the Junior Super Kings tournament, CSK's grassroots programme in Chennai in December, their CEO Kasi Viswanathan had said: "He [Dhoni] is doing well now. He has started his rehab and is working in the gym."

CSK suffered an injury blow even before the new season began, with New Zealand's Devon Conway set to miss at least the first half of the tournament after undergoing thumb surgery. In the injury-enforced absence of Conway, CSK only have one back-up wicketkeeper to Dhoni in the form of Aravelly Avanish, who had recently played for India in the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa.

CSK's pre-season camp had started on March 2 after a number of local players had arrived in Chennai on March 1. The local contingent includes batter Ruturaj Gaikwad, who only recently recovered from a finger injury to turn out for Maharashtra in the last round of the Ranji Trophy in February, and seamer Deepak Chahar, who has not played any competitive cricket since December 2023.

Gaikwad's Mahrashtra team-mates Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mukesh Choudhary and Prashant Solanki have also resumed training at Chepauk along with Delhi seamer Simarjeet Singh and Chhattisgarh left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Ajay Mandal.

CSK, the defending champions, will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening game of IPL 2024 at Chepauk, on March 22. The IPL has released a partial schedule comprising an initial set of 21 matches between March 22 and April 7. The final is expected to be played on May 26, with just five days between that and the opening match of the men's T20 World Cup, to be played in the USA and the Caribbean from June 1.