It has been learnt that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) talisman MS Dhoni has not informed anyone in the franchise that the IPL 2024 season would be his last. There has been widespread speculation about Dhoni’s IPL future ever since the Men in Yellow lifted their fifth title last year defeating the Gujarat Titans at the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad by five wickets (via DLS method).
However, the former CSK skipper put an end to those rumours by turning out for Chennai in IPL 2024. Yet again, talks about his retirement have started making the rounds after the Super Kings lost their final league game of this edition by 27 runs against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, May 18, thereby crashing out of the tournament.
If reports are to be believed, Dhoni has already informed the Chennai Super Kings management that he needs a couple of months’ time before taking a call on his future. A source close to CSK was quoted as saying by the Times of India:
“Dhoni has not told anybody in CSK that he is quitting. He has told the management that he will wait for a couple of months before taking a final call. He did not feel any discomfort in running between the wickets, which is a plus. We will wait for Dhoni’s communication. He always has the best interests of the team in mind; let’s see what happens.”
MS Dhoni’s decision would be crucial for CSK given that a mega auction is set to take place ahead of IPL 2025
MS Dhoni did what he does best during IPL 2024 – apart from his excellent glovework behind the stumps, he contributed crucial runs with the bat despite coming in lower down the order. With 161 runs throughout the season, which included eight not-outs at a strike rate of 220.55, he produced several cameos towards the end of the innings.
Ruturaj Gaikwad took over the CSK reins just a day before the season opener as MS Dhoni stepped down from the post. With a mega auction planned ahead of the next season, the wicketkeeper batter’s decision would be crucial for Chennai to strategize and prepare themselves for the auction.
