Chennai Super Kings speedster Mukesh Choudhary’s mother, Prem Devi, passed away on Tuesday following a year-long struggle with illness. She was receiving treatment at Mumbai’s Tata Hospital, where she ultimately died.
After CSK’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, Choudhary reportedly rushed back to his hometown in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. He carried out the final rites for his mother alongside his elder brother, Dr. Rajesh Choudhary.
Dr. Rajesh Choudhary has featured in just one game for CSK this season so far. Reports suggested he returned to the squad ahead of the team’s upcoming clash against Mumbai Indians, though other reports indicated he would take a brief pause and be available for the next fixture against Punjab Kings.
MS Dhoni remained in touch with the fast bowler throughout the difficult period and offered support, a report noted. Dhoni also made time to visit Choudhary’s mother while she was in hospital.
Dhoni is yet to take the field in this IPL campaign, as he has been managing a calf strain picked up just before the tournament began late last month.
The veteran CSK captain went through a full training session on Tuesday, spending time on wicket-keeping drills followed by batting work in the nets.
On Wednesday, he had a brief session before stepping away, then returned later for nearly an hour to face throwdown specialists and fast bowlers.
Dhoni’s outing was mixed: while he connected with a few shots that sailed, there were also several deliveries he failed to hit cleanly.
His match availability, CSK bowling coach Eric Simons said, will be determined entirely by how “happy” the former captain and the franchise’s medical staff are with his condition.
There were still some cheerful moments during the practice as well. Dhoni, known for his love of dogs, spotted the AI-powered IPL robotic dog and spent a few minutes interacting with it. He attempted to get the robot to mimic him with gestures, although there were times when it simply couldn’t follow.
