Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni has revealed the secret behind his sensational form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 42-year-old cricketer disclosed that he follows a strict schedule before the IPL kicks off every year. Moreover, sound sleep is one of the key aspects of his calm demeanor on the field, which helps him concentrate on the tasks at hand during the IPL.

“According to some of them it was one of the most absurd time-table one could have but over the years it only helped me. Five-seven days before the IPL starts, I would start thinking like that and I would start training my mind like that. The plus point we had that we used to try to catch the flight that was after 12,” MS Dhoni told Star Sports.

“What I used to do is that I would sleep very late because when the matches are on, from 8 to 11-11.30 is the schedule, after that post-match presentations then you would pack your kit bag, there would be late dinner. By the time you reach back to the hotel, it's almost 1-1:15. After that you have to pack your belongings in the hotel, leave the kit bag outside and by the time you do all of that, it's pretty late, let's say around 2:30,” he added.

“So instead of sleeping from 10 pm to 6 am or 11 pm to 7 am, I would sleep from 3 am to 11 am. So the minimum 8 hours sleep that I need, that I have to do for sure. I was always well-rested at night, never felt fatigued after the IPL got over,” MS Dhoni summed up.

On Sunday, MS Dhoni became the first player to claim 150 wins in the tournament after CSK registered a massive 78-run triumph over SRH at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

He has been a part of the IPL since the competition's inception in 2008, representing CSK in 15 seasons while appearing as a player for the Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) when the Chennai-based franchise was banned for two years following the spot-fixing scandal.

Overall, MS Dhoni has featured in 259 games in the IPL following his appointment as the CSK skipper 17 seasons ago.

Also, he holds the record for being the most successful captain in the cash-rich league, having guided CSK to five titles in the event. CSK's last trophy in the tournament came in 2023. Other than MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma has led the Mumbai Indians (MI) to five IPL titles.

Earlier, the legendary cricketer became the first player to complete 5000 runs as a wicketkeeper-batter in the IPL.

The 2011 World Cup-winning captain has been in sensational form in the IPL and is yet to be dismissed in this year's edition.

In the nine matches that he has played for the CSK in IPL 2024, MS Dhoni has produced sensational cameos on multiple occasions.

For instance, his explosive unbeaten knock of 37 off 16 deliveries versus the Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals is best remembered for his four sixes against Anrich Nortje.

Though MS Dhoni failed to win the match for CSK, he went a step ahead in their fixture against the Mumbai Indians, where he smashed a hat-trick of maximums against Hardik Pandya to be on the winning side that night.

On the whole, his statistics in IPL 2024 are mindboggling – he's made 96 runs in the competition with an unbeaten 37 against the Delhi Capitals being his highest score. Yet, it is his strike-rate that has been a major talking point in the tournament. Remarkably, MS Dhoni has made these runs with a strike-rate of 259.46, something which has resulted in calls for his inclusion in India's squad for the forthcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the US.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag suggested that MS Dhoni could be a good choice as a lower-order batter in the Indian line-up for the World Cup, given the form the former CSK skipper has been in the IPL.

“MS Dhoni has a strike of 255 and doesn't have an average because he hasn't been dismissed yet. He has hit 87 runs in 34 balls this season. The kind of schedule we have for the T20 World Cup, how many good teams will we be playing against? He won't get to bat in the first round,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.

“He will only have to keep, which he is already doing (for CSK). (Dhoni's) batting will come only against 3 teams: Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Even if you consider Pakistan, he will have to bat against 4 teams and only in the last 3 overs. Who is better than him then?” he concluded.