Kolkata: Crowd favourite Mahendra Singh Dhoni skipped practice for the second consecutive day as fans thronging the Eden Gardens on Tuesday faced disappointment again.
However, his ardent supporters took solace from Chennai Super Kings bowling coach Eric Simons’ confirmation about the talisman’s participation in Wednesday’s Indian Premier League match against Kolkata Knight Riders, a must-win outing for the home team.
Simons said the 43-year-old Dhoni is “fine” and “will play” the game, which could be his last competitive outing at the hallowed venue.
“Yes, he’s expected to play tomorrow,” said Simons, explaining that Dhoni knows exactly how to manage his preparation.
“With regards to MS, he knows his situation very well. He knows where he is. In terms of his preparations, he always works very hard at the beginning of a tournament and then allows himself to taper off because he gets himself in a space where he’s ready.
“So no issues, he just knows when he is prepared and when he’s not.”
Dhoni returned to captaincy duties after skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was sidelined with an injury, and Simons said the transition has been seamless.
“You see MS Dhoni as the cricketer; we always see MS Dhoni as the man who is a remarkable individual. His influence on the team, his ability to nurture Rutu, to nurture young cricketers is what’s legendary about him,” Simons said.
Even when not officially leading, Dhoni’s mere presence makes a lot of difference, Simons said.
“His influence is always there. Sure, he now makes the final decisions on movements of fields but his influence — whether he was captain or not — was always there without imposing. He doesn’t impose himself on anybody.
“He was always an influence, so it was a very smooth transition because of the closeness of his relation with Rutu.”
Simons also acknowledged the manner in which Dhoni handled the change in leadership.
“From selection conversations to tactics on the field to taking over from someone like him, what made it easier is the way that MS handles those moments.
“He’s a remarkable man from that perspective, and it’s been pretty smooth for him to step into the role again. Rutu is still around, still part of the conversations,” Simons said.
The five-time champions were the first team to be eliminated this season but despite that, Simons insisted the side remains fully committed and engaged.
“Absolutely not going through the motions. There’s been some really good work done, discussions around individuals and for us as a team. Obviously, we’re a franchise that has a rich history of winning and doing particularly well.
“It’s obviously not a great place to be in, but it’s been a very rewarding place for us to look at it from a different perspective and from a growth of individuals. It’s still been a very rewarding period for us.”
