"He must love this. Why would he want to give this away?" - Kevin Pietersen urges MS Dhoni to return for IPL 2024 

Former England player Kevin Pietersen believes that MS Dhoni can still go strong in the Indian Premier League (IPL) considering his role in the side coupled with the fitness he has maintained at the age of 41.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper has remained tight-lipped over his potential exit from the game and has deflected questions throughout the tournament. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter is also battling an injury, with a knee brace being a common sight in the post-match rituals.

However, believing the injuries to be managed in his vacant off-season, Kevin Pietersen said on Star Sports:

"I think everybody wants to keep going. With the impact player becoming more relevant now, I think he can. Yes, absolutely (on Dhoni fixing his knee issue). This is the one tournament he needs to get up for. He can rest his body. If something is wrong with his knee, he can try and sort it out over the next couple of months. Why not? He is a fit guy, he is an athlete."

He continued:

"He is inspiring. You want to play well for him. You want to be the best version of himself in a team that he is captaining. We have seen that for however many years. He cares so much and when the captain cares so much, everybody starts to feel it. It resonates."

Dhoni has embraced a batting role in the lower-middle order for the side, scoring some crucial runs at the back end of the innings. His astute leadership ability and sharp wicketkeeping skills still make him an asset.

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"He is also an incredible human being away from the cricket field" - Kevin Pietersen on MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni and Co. took a lap of honor after CSK played their final home game of the season in the form of a six-wicket defeat at the hands of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

The four-time champions are set to feature at the M Chidambaram Stadium one more time should they qualify for the playoffs without any hiccups. CSK would prefer playing Qualifier 1 instead of the Eliminator before heading off to Ahmedabad.

Commenting on the crowd that stayed back as a whole to watch MS Dhoni even after the end of the post-match presentation, Kevin Pietersen said:

"Look at the people who have stayed back to see, to try and touch him because of the person that he is. He is also an incredible human being away from the cricket field. These are wonderful scenes, hugely emotional seasons. This is such a fabulous gesture."

CSK will face the Delhi Capitals (DC) in their final league match of the 2023 season at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday, May 20.