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Following Saturday’s game between the Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a visibly upset MS Dhoni was observed leaving the pitch without shaking hands to players. Although there were rumours that Dhoni might declare his IPL retirement, the defeat by RCB and his expulsion from the playoffs have just fueled the flames.
Ambati Rayudu and Matthew Hayden, two former CSK veterans, have now expressed differing opinions over Thala’s prospects in the IPL. Also, CSK officials mentioned that Dhoni is yet to communicate with them regarding his franchise retirement.
Dhoni still has a lot to provide, as evidenced by his performance in the IPL 2024. The 42-year-old, who represented CSK in all league games and helped the franchise win 5 IPL titles, amassed 161 runs at a remarkable 53.67 average and a 220.5 strike rate.
Fans were reminded of his heyday with his incredible knocks against the Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians. Rayudu, who spent the last few years with the CSK team before formally declaring his retirement following the 2023 IPL, stated that MS Dhoni cannot leave cricket with a play-off exclusion.
He said,
“MS Dhoni should play one more season. This shouldn’t be his last as he cannot leave like this. He should play next season and win the IPL. He’s a once-in-a-generation player and once-in-a-generation human being,”
Another CSK and Australian veteran Matthew Hayden mentioned that Dhoni might come back next year, but as a coach. He said,
“I think this is it. I do believe that this will be the last time that Dhoni will play. Certainly, won’t be the last time that we see Dhoni. I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t mentor or be a part of the family of CSK in an official capacity,”
“I suppose the thing is when you come to the end of your career, whether it is the last part of his career or not, what you don’t want to see is diminishing returns as an athlete. Firstly, as a leader, he is The Thala of the Chennai Super Kings. This is telling me that nothing here is about becoming anything else other than first place.”
A Longer Wait for the Final Call
The report also states that Dhoni, who was saddened by the outcome against RCB, left the CSK camp on Sunday and was the first to return to Ranchi. Regarding the crucial decision regarding Dhoni’s future, an insider informed the newspaper that Thala hasn’t shared his intentions with anyone at the team. He advised the management that the decision would not be taken until after a few months.
“We will wait for Dhoni’s communication. He always has the best interests of the team in mind, let’s see what happens,” the CSK official said.
