Former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has expressed his deep admiration for MS Dhoni and his desire to coach the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Steyn, known for his lethal pace and swing during his playing days, revealed that he has always wanted to be part of the CSK setup, even willing to take a pay cut just to experience the team's environment under Dhoni’s leadership.

In a candid conversation on a podcast, Steyn spoke about his long-standing admiration for Dhoni and his dream to play alongside the former Indian captain. “I am a big admirer of MS Dhoni – I always wanted to be part of CSK. I was even willing to take a pay cut just to be in the CSK environment. I was ready to sit on CSK's bench if it meant being part of the team,” Steyn shared.

Steyn, who represented several IPL franchises throughout his career, including Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Gujarat Lions, emphasized that Dhoni’s leadership would have made him a better player. He stated, “I wanted to play for a guy like MS Dhoni. I would even today, if someone said to me, ‘You must make a comeback.’ I would probably get ready just to get into that, so that it could make me a better player.”

While Steyn last played in the IPL in 2020 for Royal Challengers Bangalore, he transitioned to coaching with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022, where he made a significant impact on their young bowlers. Now, Steyn has set his sights on a future coaching role with CSK, believing that working with Dhoni would help him grow as a coach.

He added, “I would love to coach teams that can go on to win IPL titles, World Cups, and all these other trophies. I think learning from the best, who’s done it the most in Dhoni, would be quite nice.”

With MS Dhoni set to return to CSK in IPL 2025 as an uncapped player, the franchise continues to attract admiration from legends like Steyn, who are eager to be a part of the team’s legacy.