IPL 2023: MS Dhoni not going to be as quick as he was 15 years ago – CSK coach Stephen Fleming

The
statement
from
Fleming
came
in
response
to
the
reports
around
his
unavailability
for
the
IPL
2023
opener
between
CSK
and
Gujarat
Giants
(GT)
due
to
a
niggle
in
his
left
knee.
However,
the
41-year-old
shut
all
the
claims
by
leading
CSK
in
front
of
a
packed
crowd
in
Ahmedabad.

Fleming
expressed
surprise
at
the
reports
which
claimed
the
CSK
captain
won’t
feature
in
the
tournament-opener.
He
asserted
that
the
right-hand
wicket-keeper
batter
with
his
leadership
acumen
and
batting
has
still
got
a
massive
role
to
play
for
the
four-time
champions.

“He
was
always
playing.
Not
sure
where
that
story
came
from.
He
was
nursing
a
sore
knee
throughout
the
month
of
pre-season,
but
today
it
was
just
cramps,
it
wasn’t
the
knee.
He’s
not
going
to
be
as
quick
and
nimble
as
he
was
15
years
ago.

“But
he
is
still
a
great
leader
of
the
side
and,
even
with
the
bat,
he
is
still
going
to
play
a
part.
He
knows
his
limitations
and
he
is
a
valuable
player
to
have
on
the
field.
He
is
a
legend,
isn’t
he?
Fleming
said
in
the
press
conference.

The
Jharkhand
cricketer
was
seen
wincing
in
pain
after
putting
in
a
dive
towards
the
end
of
the
match
against
Gujarat
at
the
Narendra
Modi
Stadium
on
Friday.

Earlier
in
the
match,
Dhoni
walked
in
to
bat
at
number
eight
for
CSK
and
smashed
one
four
and
a
six
to
score
14
not
out
runs
off
seven
balls.
With
the
six
off
left-arm
pacer
Joshua
Little
on
the
third
ball
of
the
20th
over,
Dhoni
became
only
the
fifth
player
to
hit
200
sixes
for
a
single
IPL
franchise.

CSK
fought
hard
in
their
first
match
of
the
IPL
2023
season
but
ended
up
losing
the
match
by
five
wickets
after
failing
to
defend
179
versus
Hardik
Pandya-led
Gujarat.