Former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni has explained that he can play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) even though he is 43 because nobody cares about a player’s age in the T20 league now as well. He, however, shared that he puts in a lot of hard work for six to eight months to prepare for the IPL as well.

Speaking at a Garuda Aerospace event in Mumbai on Friday, February 21, Dhoni said (as quoted by PTI): “I only play a couple of months in a year, but I want to enjoy it the way I started playing, that’s something that keeps me going. But, of course, for that, I need to put in a lot of hard work for six to eight months because IPL is one of the toughest tournaments. Nobody really cares about how old you are. If you’re playing at this level, the level needs to be the same.”

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Reflecting on his stunning career, MS Dhoni said that playing for India was always his biggest motivation. He further added that, having retired from international cricket, he continues playing for the love of the sport as well.

“When I started playing international cricket, for me the biggest motivation was representing my country. It has always been the country for me because coming from where I came, not known for cricket as a state, once I got a chance I wanted to contribute, I wanted to be part of a winning team that was trying to win each and every game. For me, my biggest motivation was that contribution to make India win. Now that I’ve retired from international cricket, I can’t say it’s the same, but for me now, it’s the love for the sport. It’s hard work, but for me now, enjoying the game is the key aspect,” MS Dhoni concluded.