The buzz was around Dhoni's retirement during CSK's home match against DC on Saturday.
Dhoni walked out to bat at No. 7 in the 11th over when CSK were reeling at 74/5. The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 30 off 26 balls – a knock that might seem decent on paper. However, it was painfully slow in the context of the game.
Dhoni’s first 18 balls fetched just 13 runs and it was only in the 18th and 19th overs that he showed flashes of his aggressive hitting, slicing a four past backward point and launching a six over long-on. But by then, the game had already slipped away.
While Dhoni and Vijay Shankar (69* off 54) forged an unbroken 158-run stand for the fifth wicket, CSK’s innings was eventually restricted to 158/5 in 20 overs.
Ahead of the game, visuals showed MS Dhoni's parents in the stadium, which sparked speculations of his retirement. Then, however, CSK coach Stephen Fleming clarified that Dhoni is 'still going strong'.
A video also went viral where Dhoni's wife can be seen talking to their daughter Ziva. While her conversation was not audible, several users claimed she said: "Last match". Many claimed the clip was telecast during the last over of the match, which CSK lost by 25 runs.
Earlier, Fleming dismissed retirement chatter around Dhoni, noting that it is not his responsibility to end the iconic cricketer's IPL career.
“No, that’s not my role to put an end to it. I have no idea. I’m just enjoying working with him. He’s still going strong. I don’t even ask these days. You guys are the ones that ask,” Fleming said.
The CSK coach defended the move of Dhoni batting at No.7, saying that it wasn’t a damage-control tactic, but a reflection of tough batting conditions in the second half.
“When he went out, the ball started to grip more. Vijay [Shankar] struggled throughout. That 12-16 over period was just very hard to bat. The game was slipping, and even with intent, it was just too much,” Fleming added.
It was CSK’s third loss in four games this season. They will next travel to Mullanpur to take on Punjab Kings on April 8.