Speaking at an event in Bengaluru on Thursday, the 42-year-old India legend revealed that his knee surgery had been successful and that he is making steady progress without complications. Medical professionals have assured him that he will experience significant improvement by November. Dhoni is currently focused on a rehabilitation program to regain his fitness.
During the event, when an interviewer began by mentioning Dhoni’s retirement from cricket, another panellist quickly corrected, specifying that it was from international cricket. Dhoni agreed with the correction, drawing applause from fans.
The interviewer started asking his question with: “Now that you have retired from cricket..”
To this the other panellist interrupted, saying: “From international cricket…”. And Dhoni immediately agreed with the interruption and fans applauded it wholeheartedly.
Updating about his rehabilitation, Dhoni said, “Knee has survived the operation, going through the rehab phase. The doctor told me you would feel much better by November. But no problem in day-to-day routine.”
In addition to discussing his physical condition, Dhoni emphasised that his ultimate goal was not solely to be remembered as a remarkable cricketer but as a good human being. He stated, “You know, right from the start, I was not into that people should remember me as a good cricketer. I always said, you know, I want to be remembered as a good human being. You know, and if you want to be a good human being, it’s a process till you die.”
Dhoni had previously confirmed his intention to return to the IPL in 2024, putting an end to speculations about his future following CSK’s fifth IPL championship. He expressed gratitude to CSK fans and the love he received from them, which serves as a special motivation to continue playing.
He had mentioned earlier, “Circumstantially, it’s the best time to announce retirement. The easy thing for me is to say thank you and retire. But the amount of love I have received from CSK fans, it would be a gift for them to (see me) play one more season,” during an event at the Narendra Modi Stadium after CSK’s victory against the Gujarat Titans in May.