NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni underwent a successful left knee surgery at a Mumbai hospital on Thursday, raising hopes of his participation in the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) next year.
Dhoni, who recently led the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fifth IPL title, travelled to Mumbai from Ahmedabad after the final on Monday to consult with renowned sports orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala. Dr. Pardiwala, who is part of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) medical panel, has previously performed surgeries on several top Indian cricketers, including Rishabh Pant.
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed the news to PTI, stating, “Yes, Dhoni has had a successful knee surgery at the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai on Thursday. He is doing fine, and the surgery happened in the morning. I don’t have details yet about the nature of the surgery and other specifics.”
According to an anonymous source within the CSK management, Dhoni is expected to be discharged within a day or two and will undergo an extensive rehabilitation program. The source expressed optimism that Dhoni would have sufficient time to recover and get fit for the next IPL season.

MS Dhoni (TOI Photo)
Throughout the previous IPL season, Dhoni played with heavy strapping on his left knee. While his wicket-keeping skills remained unaffected, he often batted at a lower position, even coming in at No. 8 on occasions, and appeared less comfortable while running between the wickets.
In a recent interview, Viswanathan had stated that the decision to undergo surgery would be entirely up to Dhoni, emphasising the iconic captain’s autonomy.
Following the IPL final, Dhoni had hinted at the possibility of retirement but expressed his desire to work hard and play one more season. He acknowledged the overwhelming love and support he received from CSK fans and considered it a gift to play another season for them.
Dhoni’s admiration for the fans and the emotional connection he shares with them has motivated him to continue his cricketing journey, particularly in the IPL. He values their unwavering support and intends to contribute to the team’s success in the last phase of his career, cherishing the simplicity and unorthodox style of play that has endeared him to his fans.
“If you circumstantially see, it’s the best time to announce retirement. The easy thing for me to say is thank you and retire. But the hard thing to do is to work hard for nine months and try to play one more IPL season. The body has to hold up. But the amount of love I have received from CSK fans, it would be a gift for them to play one more season.” Dhoni had said after the IPL final.
“The way they’ve shown their love and emotion, it’s something I need to do for them. It’s the last part of my career. It started over here and the full house was chanting my name. It was the same thing in Chennai, but it will be good to come back and play whatever I can. The kind of cricket I play, they feel they can play that cricket. There’s nothing orthodox about it and I like to keep it simple.”
(With inputs from PTI)