MS Dhoni still fit after 436 days, MI and other CSK players criticised for fitness

MS Dhoni was making a comeback into competitive cricket after 436 days in IPL 2020 clash against Mumbai Indians. It was his first cricket outing ever since the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final clash against New Zealand in July. Since that time, MS Dhoni did not play any cricket but he still looked incredibly fit. Before the match, Dhoni had said that he remained fit by going to the gym and doing a lot of running during the lockdown as he looked to come back into peak fitness.

The fitness of MS Dhoni was on show during the IPL 2020 clash against Mumbai Indians in Abu Dhabi. Dhoni dived and was agile behind the wickets, taking a sharp diving catch off Krunal Pandya as well as being alert for the Kieron Pollard dismissal.

However, there was criticism levelled at some players for being overweight. One Chennai Super Kings bowler was criticised for looking overweight while there was also criticism for two players from the Mumbai Indians side. Here are some of the tweets highlighting the criticism

Is it d #Corona #effect or d lack of #fitness discipline thts lead to awesome waistlines in #IPL2020 . Hope d championship dsnt turn out to b of waistline rather than sport.closer observations s it d #Indian players who look most unfit? @virenrasquinha @bhogleharsha @ChuckersPie

— Akash kinariwala (@akashkinariwala) September 19, 2020

Piyush Chawla bowling to Saurabh Tiwari is not really the best advertisement for fitness in sports.#MIvCSK #IPL2020

— s tanwar (@sushtany) September 19, 2020

#IPL2020 #MIvCSK Some of the players don’t look match fit at all - #covid break has taken a toll on fitness for many!

— Anil Kumar (@anilk247) September 19, 2020

I have never played more than gully cricket but I am pretty shocked to see some players in the #IPL2020 looking so unfit. I can’t think of another physical sport where players at the highest level could cope with these fitness levels.

— Viren Rasquinha (@virenrasquinha) September 19, 2020

Chennai Super Kings start well

Chennai Super Kings’ solid bowling effort allowed them to restrict Mumbai Indians to 162/9. In response, they lost Shane Watson and Murali Vijay cheaply but Ambati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis’ magnificent fifties, aided by a wonderful cameo from Sam Curran, helped Chennai Super Kings snap their five-game losing streak against Mumbai Indians.

Speaking after the match, Dhoni said there were still some areas to improve. “We may practice enough but when you go on the field you need to assess the conditions and give it your best. It took us time for the bowlers to find the right length on this pitch. Plenty of positives but still plenty of areas for us to improve,” Dhoni said.