MS Dhoni was at one point the leanest person on the field. He used to make the grounds shake with his cuts and doubles on the run with Virat Kohli, starkly contrasted by that 2017 training clip whereby a 36-year-old Dhoni managed to outrun a 23-year-old Hardik Pandya. And fast forward eight horrendous years, and time has surely eaten the legend alive. Administrator still is India's finest keeper but spending 20 overs behind the stumps and coming out to bat for long is not the thing any longer. Hence, many wondered why the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) icon was coming in as low as number nine during 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). But on April 14, Dhoni reminded the world why he is really great. He strode in at number five with CSK needing 56 off 30 balls. Like the Dhoni of old, he led the chase with a match-winning 26 off 11 balls and went on to collect the 'Man of the Match' award for his hax finishes. Then after an impressive post-match presentation, came to light the real reason behind his low batting position. pic.twitter.com/QQA1gRGOC6 — CSK Korner™ (@dhonsim140024) April 15, 2025 Dhoni limped off the ground after his interaction with Harsha Bhogle. Another video showed him at Ekana struggling to get out. Recovery at 43 isn’t as smooth as before. The very fans quick to criticize him on the internet should consider what he’s going through just to play. Dhoni underwent knee surgery on his left leg in the year 2023. From then on, he has been not able to spend a long time at the crease. Since IPL 2023, he has batted just 212 balls in 37 games which is less than six balls per match. That's where his body is currently. Even CSK head coach Stephen Fleming acknowledged this reality about a month ago. Fleming commented: “His body is, his knees aren’t what they used to be. And he’s moving okay, but there’s still an attrition aspect to it. He can’t bat 10 overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us. If the game’s in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier, and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he’s balancing that.”