IPL 2019 | Careful about my back with World Cup coming up, says MS Dhoni

04/24/2019

MS Dhoni has stated that he needs to be careful about his back injury, especially with the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales. The Chennai Super Kings skipper had to sit out an encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 17, due to stiffness in his back, but was in for the next game.

In Tuesday’s encounter between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chepauk, the home team had their task cut out as they had to chase down 175 runs. However, the likes of Shane Watson and Suresh Raina in the top order stepped up, and MS Dhoni did not have to arrive on the field to bat, relieving him of some fatigue.The skipper, who had sent Dwayne Bravo to number six when only one run was required, has been battling back issues for a while now.

Even in the post match-presentation ceremony, the skipper spilled the beans on his back issue, and did not rule out the possibility of missing out a few more Indian Premier League matches with the World Cup round the corner.

"The back is holding up; it's not getting worse. With the World Cup coming up, can't afford that, because that's too important," he said, reported PTI.

The Chennai based franchise are more or less a certainty for the playoffs. The finals of the cash rich league will be played on May 12, and the Indian team’s first warm-up game of the quadrennial event against New Zealand is scheduled on May 25, leaving a very little window for rest. The 37-year-old implied that he is not fully fit, but did not mind it as he believes that it is a part and parcel of the game.

"If it becomes worse, I certainly take some time off; but at this level you play with some niggle or the other, because if you wait to get fully fit, then there will be a gap of five years between two matches," the skipper cheekily said.

CSK will next take on Mumbai Indians on April 26, and will look to seal a spot in the first qualifier to be played on May 7 in Chennai.