Hyderabad: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) won't be the last of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is a wonderful and inspirational skipper and the 'Thala' will always be part of the lucrative league.
At 42, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is already a sporting legend in India who has won the 2007 inaugural T20 World Cup, 2011 ICC ODI World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. He has also led the CSK to five IPL titles.
"He (Dhoni) is the most successful IPL captain. He is wonderful and inspirational. His mind works like a computer. We call him 'Chacha Chaudhary' when we do commentary in Hindi. He is very sharp," Irfan Pathan, a Star Sports Hindi commentator, who has played with Dhoni, told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interaction.
For the record, Dhoni has played a staggering 250 IPL matches in which he has scored 5,082 runs with 24 half-centuries. "He has given many laurels to the country, not just the IPL franchise (Chennai Super Kings). I would say definitely not (his last season) because his fans would want him to play as long as he can," quipped Pathan, a left-handed batter and a left-arm pacer.
"Even if he wants to play on one leg, people won't mind seeing him play like that. Like all the good things have to come to an end one day, it might happen in the future, we might not see him playing the IPL, but he will always be a part of CSK, he will always be part of IPL. But if this is his (Dhoni's) last season, I want him to go out on a high (perform well), because of the kind of charisma he brings on the field," added 39-year-old Baroda-born.
Meanwhile, star India batter Virat Kohli is yet to win a coveted IPL title despite being part of the tournament right since its inception. Quizzed whether Kohli, who has also led the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), can win the Trophy this time, Pathan said, "RCB is a very good franchise as far as the kind of fan following they have, the kind of team generally they have. They always have three or four superstars.
"They do well and they pull the crowds. They have Virat Kohli, the guy who wants to win the IPL badly for many years now. Since the inception of the IPL, he has been there with the RCB, so if that happens, it will be a peak of the IPL movement. They (RCB fans) have been very loyal. They come every year to the ground and say 'E Sala Cup Namde' (this year the cup is ours), doesn't happen, they go back disappointed and come back again with the same energy. I have never seen anything like that in terms of enthusiasm, and loyalty from the fan's point of view in the world, not just in the IPL, so if that happens, that will be great. It will happen one day either this year (or) next year or in the future but when that happens, I think it will be the peak of IPL," stressed Pathan, who played for Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, now defunct Gujarat Lions, Chennai Super Kings and now defunct Rising Pune Supergiants.
Pathan after his cricketing career took to commentary and is keenly looking forward to the next IPL season. He was recently praised on air by legendary Sunil Gavaskar, himself a noted commentator now.
"I am grateful to Star (Sports) for giving me that platform in 2018 when I started my IPL journey (as a broadcaster) and since then it has been wonderful growth. My biggest day came when Sir Sunil Gavaskar recently in South Africa gave me a compliment on air... my year was made by it," Pathan concluded.
