Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels that former CSK skipper MS Dhoni might be rested for a game here and there in the next season so that the best can be squeezed out of him after Chennai Super Kings retained him for IPL 2025.
Being an occasional participant in the IPL because of his international retirement declared in 2020, which was the final stage of his playing career, Suresh only features with CSK in the last few seasons, and with his leadership, he managed to lead them to win five IPL titles.
Two seasons ago he probably had his worst season, but then last year again, he bounced back into really impacting some games like the MS Dhoni of old, Ponting said on the recent episode of The ICC Review.
"I think it will be exactly the same now.they might not get him through the whole season. They might think about leaving him out for a game and resting him up here and there to make sure that they're getting the best out of him."
Ponting praised the longevity of Dhoni but said he didn't admire his quality of being the mentor despite not being a captain of the side.
"Any team that he's in, whether he's captain or not, he's always going to be a mentor and a leader around that group, whether he's playing, whether he's sitting on the sidelines, that's just who he is…he's crucial to Chennai, for that leadership that he brings on and off the field," Ponting said.
The best players are the ones that are able to maintain such a high level for a long time…for 10, 12, 14-year careers.
Ponting said Dhoni has evolved over the years to remain impactful in the game with his unique ability to mold himself according to the situation.
He's actually batting the last 20 balls of an innings now but still showing that you can make a big impact on the game by doing that, Ponting added.
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