MS Dhoni has won five IPL titles as captain of the CSK franchise.
As another Indian Premier League (IPL) season comes to a close, attention once again turns to MS Dhoni's future. Since retiring from international cricket in 2020, fans have been waiting for Dhoni to return to action in the IPL. After winning a record-equaling fifth title in Ahmedabad last year, Dhoni prolonged his IPL career for another year, much to the pleasure of Chennai supporters.
CSK batting coach Mike Hussey wants Chennai great MS Dhoni to continue playing in the Indian Premier League for "another couple of years." But he also said that only MS Dhoni knows what he’ll do.
"Your guess is as good as mine at this stage. He keeps his cards very, very close to his chest. We are hoping he does keep going. He is still batting so well. He does prepare well - he gets into the camp very early and hits a lot of balls. He has been in good touch all season really. I guess we just got to try to manage him from the body side of things. He had a knee surgery after the last season. So, he has been managing that from the initial stage of the tournament.
From a personal point of view, I hope he keeps going for another couple of years. But we will just have to wait and see. He is the only one who will make that call. And he likes to sort of build the drama a little bit as well. So, I wouldn't expect a decision anytime soon,” Hussey said on ESPN's Around the Wicket show when asked if Dhoni would be back next year.
While he had undergone knee surgery after the last IPL, MS Dhoni was seen with an icepack on his leg in the ongoing IPL 2024 and there were reports of him suffering a muscle tear.
However, regardless of the outcome of the battle, he continues to provide the audience with the best entertainment possible. The question of his future looms huge, but for the time being, Dhoni remains an enigmatic character, with his next move known only to him.
"I know fans probably want to see him batting a little bit higher in the order. but that [the knee surgery] is why we have had to manage him a little bit and he only comes in at the back end. But there has been no one better in being able to come in and hit the ball so cleanly from ball one than MS. He has been phenomenal,” Hussey added.