MS Dhoni gets the best out of CSK, nobody can doubt his skills as captain: Yellow Army's CEO K Viswanathan

While MS Dhoni has gone past his prime, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend remains a big name in IPL. The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman has amassed 4,746 runs in 220 IPL games, eighth-most overall, and also accounts for most dismissals (161) behind the stumps.

Apart from Dhoni's batting and keeping, his finishing skills and captaincy have been hailed by many in the IPL (and also during his stint with Indian cricket). Thus, it wasn't any surprise when the four-time winners retained the 40-year-old Dhoni ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. For the unversed, Dhoni wasn't CSK's first-choice but was retained for a whopping 120 million (12 crores).

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Opining on Dhoni's retention and what he brings to the table overall, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan hailed the 'Thala' and told in a video posted by the franchise on social media, "Thala has been the mainstay of CSK. He has been a captain who has delivered for us. He gets the best out of the team every time he plays. As far as we are concerned, Thala plays a major role because he controls the team, and the team is benefitted by his experience. Nobody can doubt his skills as a captain."

He added, "Chennai has been a very lucky ground for us, we had a good home advantage. That is because of the support we get from the CSK fans who throng to the stadium. I hope that this year, we get the entire MA Chidambaram Stadium for our use,” he stated.

The next edition of the IPL is slated to be held in India. Meanwhile, the mega auction is likely in early 2022.

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Despite his low returns with the bat, Dhoni remained a vital cog for CSK in IPL 2021 edition. He led the franchise brilliantly and took them to their ninth IPL final in the last edition. In the summit clash, Dhoni-led CSK beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 27 runs to clinch the coveted title after three years.