MS Dhoni. | (Image Credits: X)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni has addressed his retirement prospects as shouts strongly grow after another sluggish knock in IPL 2025, with the five-time champions sustaining their third successive defeat in the tournament. The keeper-batter has ruled out any possibility as of now, claiming that he still has some time to decide after the ongoing season of IPL.
With the Yellow Army chasing down 184 for victory against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Dhoni had come at the crease in the 11th over of the innings. However, the veteran managed only 30 runs off the 26 balls he faced with two boundaries as the home side still fell 23 runs short of Capitals’ score. With the legendary cricketer’s match-winning abilities on the wane, former players and fans have questioned whether he is pegging the team back at this stage.
Speaking on Raj Shamani’s podcast, Dhoni said when asked about retirement:
“No, not right now. I am still playing the IPL. I have kept it very simple, I take it one year at a time, I am 43, by the time IPL 2025 finishes, I will be 44, so after that I have 10 months to decide if I would play or not. But it is not me deciding, it is my body that decides. So, one year at a time, we will see after that.”
“The right time for him to retire was in 2023 when he won the IPL trophy” – Manoj Tiwary
Ex-Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary, meanwhile, said Dhoni is tarnishing his legacy by prolonging his playing days and should’ve quit when the Super Kings last won the IPL. Tiwary said while speaking to Cricbuzz:
“I think the right time for him to retire was in 2023 when he won the IPL trophy. He should have retired then. Somewhere, I feel that all the fame, name, and respect he earned from cricket, it’s kind of slipping away in the last two years with the way he’s been playing. Fans are unable to bear watching him like this, and he’s losing that spark.”
