As Chennai Super Kings' captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni prepares for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), images of him practising with a new bat sticker have gained widespread attention on social media. Dhoni, sporting a 'Prime Sports' sticker on his bat, was seen putting in the hard work during his net practice sessions recently.
The buzz surrounding the picture of Dhoni training with a new 'Prime Sports' sticker has been remarkable. This sticker serves as a tribute from Dhoni to his childhood friend Paramjit Singh, who happens to own a sports company by that name. This touching gesture is deeply intertwined with Dhoni's life story, as depicted in the legendary cricketer's biopic, 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story'.
Former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist commented on Dhoni's new bat sticker during the Australia vs West Indies 2nd T20I of the ongoing T20I series, speculating that the upcoming IPL season might commence in mid-March this year.
“Got to reach India 10 days before the tournament starts. March, maybe 11th of March we are heading off. Looking forward to it. Great tournament, really is. Best players from all around the world. Best Indian players playing… it's incredible. The crowds are unbelievable, the noise they make. The atmosphere in the ground. And MS Dhoni is back. He's hitting balls in the nets already I reckon," Michael Hussey, who is the batting coach of CSK, said on-air.
"I saw him hitting some balls in the nets, MS Dhoni. There's a new bat sticker on his bat. Just a local sports store of one of his schoolmates. Whack the company name on your bat just to give a boost to sales," said Adam Gilchrist .
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MS Dhoni played through the 2023 edition of the IPL with an injured knee. Post the tournament victory, he underwent surgery to address the issue. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his availability, the CSK franchise opted to retain the star captain ahead of the IPL 2024 auctions. Currently, Dhoni is gearing up to lead the side once again as the franchise aims to defend its title in the upcoming season.