Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka has heaped praise on MS Dhoni, given how well he leads the side and keeps reinventing himself even at the age of 42. Goenka said he especially remains impressed how he has groomed Matheesha Pathirana to a genuine match-winner with the ball.
Despite retiring from the game since over five years, Dhoni remains one of the biggest names and draws massive crowds during IPL. The 42-year-old's helicopter shot still remains one of the most thrilling strokes in the game, drawing enormous cheers from the spectators.
Speaking to Ranveer Allahbadia on his podcast, Goenka said he has hardly seen a leader like Dhoni and learns something new every time he interacts with the former Indian skipper.
"Aap Mahendra Singh Dhoni ko dekhiye, unke jaisa leader maine nahin dekha. Unki jo soch hai, thinking hai, way of approach hai, kaise aadmi apne aap ko is umar pe bhi reinvent kar raha hai aur apni team ko kaise sambhal raha hai. Woh Pathirana - baccha bowler. Dhoni ne pata nahin kahan dekha, pakad ke groom kar liya into a lethal match-winner. He knows how to use his players when. Toh Unse main jitne baar interact karta hoon, mujhe kuch na kuch seekhne ko milta hai."
(I haven't seen a leader like MS Dhoni. His way of thinking and way of approach, how someone is reinventing himself at his age and handling his team. Pathirana was a rookie bowler, but Dhoni somehow spotted him and turned him into a lethal match-winner. He knows how to use his players when. Whenever I have interacted with him, I have learned something.)
MS Dhoni retained as an uncapped player ahead of IPL 2025:
Meanwhile, the 42-year-old qualified to play in the IPL as an uncapped player as he last played an international fixture five months ago. Hence, the Yellow Army decided to retain him for ₹4 crore.
With 264 matches in the IPL since its inception in 2008, Dhoni holds the record for most appearances. Dhoni is also the joint-most successful captain in IPL history alongside Rohit Sharma winning five titles. In 264 games, the keeper-batter has amassed 5243 runs at 39.12 alongside a decent strike rate of 137.12.
The Super Kings had failed to reach the playoffs in the 2024 edition.
