Whether MS Dhoni intends to play in the IPL going forward has not been made public yet. However, the message Dhoni gave his management has been made public by a CSK official.
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were eliminated from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs after losing their final league game of the season to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday. As a result, CSK’s Net Run Rate was marginally lower than RCB’s, allowing the Faf du Plessis-led side to advance despite the fact that both teams had 14 points. CSK fans were not only disappointed by their team’s elimination, but also by the possibility that they had seen the last of MS Dhoni. However, a CSK official has informed that Dhoni has not yet contacted with the franchise about his impending retirement.
In an interview with some news sources, a senior CSK official claimed that the change of ball in the penultimate over of the match, following Dhoni’s 110-meter six, had a significant influence in his team’s defeat to RCB. Dhoni failed to fulfill his pledge of lifting the IPL title in Chepauk.
“The ball had been lost and needed to be replaced. “Dayal got a drier ball, and hitting became more difficult,” claimed a senior CSK official.
According to the source, Dhoni returned to Ranchi on Sunday and was the first member of the CSK camp to leave, saddened by the outcome against RCB.
In terms of Dhoni’s future, a source told the newspaper that Thala has not informed anyone at the franchise of his ambitions. He advised the management to wait a few months before making a final decision.
“Dhoni has not informed anybody at CSK that he is leaving. According to the article, he has informed management that he will wait a few months before making a final decision. “He did not feel any discomfort in his running between the wickets and that is a plus.”
The ‘Impact Player’ rule, which has been heavily criticized by a few active cricketers, is also expected to play a factor in Dhoni’s retirement announcement. If the guideline is followed, Dhoni may stay since it allows him to fulfil a specific role with the squad. If the rule is repealed, the seasoned wicket-keeper batter’s return could be challenging.
“We shall await Dhoni’s communication. He always has the team’s best interests at heart; let’s see what happens,” the CSK official said.
