Last month, MS Dhoni turned forty-four. Five years have passed since he ended his international career. Nonetheless, the renowned batter-wicketkeeper still plays for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, a team that won all five of its titles when the maverick cricketer was captain.
Ruturaj Gaikwad succeeded him as captain of CSK in 2024 after he resigned. Although they just missed a postseason berth, the previous season was a forgettable one as they suffered a historic low—for the first time, CSK ended at the bottom of the standings.
Aside from CSK's subpar play, one of the most talked-about subjects during the season was Dhoni's upcoming retirement. Although he says he won't be playing for long, the former captain of India has left the door open for him to participate next year.
“Me and CSK, we are together. You know, even for the next 15-20 years (crowd cheers). I hope they don’t think I’ll be playing for another 15-20 years. It’s not about one year or two years. I will always be sitting in a yellow jersey. You know whether I’ll be playing or not in a while, but yeah, you know yourself," Dhoni said at an event.
Dhoni noted CSK’s role in shaping his career and helping him grow as a person.
“I feel the relationship over the years has grown. It helped me improve as a person. It helped me improve as a cricketer. CSK just happened. I think it’s good for Chennai. So, today it’s good for me also," he said.
Two of the last five IPL seasons have been won by CSK. They haven't made it to the playoffs in the other three, though.
“Yes, the last couple of years have not been good for us. We have not been up to the mark. But what is important is for you to see the learnings. Yes, you had a bad season. But what went wrong? And that was the question for us last year also," Dhoni said.
Last season, after Gaikwad suffered an elbow fracture halfway through the season, Dhoni assumed captaincy for the rest of the team's play.
“Rutu will be coming back. He got injured. But he will be coming back. So, we are quite sorted now," Dhoni said.
