Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has praised legendary MS Dhoni for his indomitable spirit and firmness as Indian star continues to shape his distinguished career. Despite reports swirling about MS Dhoni’s future in IPL, the veteran star was retained by Chennai Super Kings in the uncapped player category for rupees four crore as he will once again be seen in action in IPL 2025. Touching upon on CSK’s likely plans to manage MS Dhoni’s workload, Ponting noted that CSK could rest Dhoni occasionally to get the best out of him. 

“Two seasons ago he probably had his worst season, but then last year again, he bounced back into really impacting some games like the MS Dhoni of old," Ponting said on The ICC Review.

"I think it will be exactly the same now...they might not get him through the whole season. They might think about leaving him out for a game and resting him up here and there to make sure that they’re getting the best out of him.”

Stressing on Dhoni’s importance, Ponting noted that Dhoni’s experience and excellent leadership are indispensable assets for CSK. 

“Any team that he's in, whether he's captain or not, he's always going to be a mentor and a leader around that group, whether he’s playing, whether he’s sitting on the sidelines, that’s just who he is…he’s crucial to Chennai, for that leadership that he brings on and off the field,” Ponting stated.

Ponting lauded Dhoni’s longevity by noting that “The best players are the ones that are able to maintain such a high level for a long time…for 10, 12, 14-year careers.”

“He’s actually batting the last 20 balls of an innings now but still showing that you can make a big impact on the game by doing that,” Ponting said.