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May 24, 2024
There has been much speculation surrounding MS Dhoni’s future in the Indian Premier League after Chennai Super Kings crashed out of the IPL 2024 playoffs race.
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding MS Dhoni’s future in the Indian Premier League after Chennai Super Kings crashed out of the IPL 2024 playoffs race. Dhoni mainly played as a lower-order finisher for his team amid reports of a knee injury. After CSK lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a crucial encounter, fans and experts again started wondering whether it was the last time the former India skipper played for CSK. Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram weighed in on the subject. It said that he “has a gut feeling” Dhoni will not return for the next season.
“(On MS Dhoni’s future) I have a gut feeling he’ll be done after this. Players like him come in a lifetime, it all depends on him,” Akram said on Sportskeeda.
Former Australian cricket team batter Matthew Hayden echoed similar sentiments after CSK’s loss against RCB earlier.
“I think this is it. I do believe that this will be the last time that Dhoni will play. Certainly, won’t be the last time that we see Dhoni. I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t mentor or be a part of the family of CSK in an official capacity,” said Hayden on Star Sports Cricket Live.
“I suppose the thing is when you come to the end of your career, whether it is the last part of his career or not, what you don’t want to see is diminishing returns as an athlete. Firstly, as a leader, he is The Thala of the Chennai Super Kings. This is telling me that nothing here is about becoming anything else other than first place.”
“He’s desperately using his brains, all of that cricket knowledge. And of course, the power is there and that’s always been MS Dhoni. He’s always hit balls at this stage of an innings. At the front, you can understand how players can hit it. But at the back, it’s really hard to hit balls,” he added.
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif feels there is no reason Mahendra Singh Dhoni should not play the next season of the IPL, given his form, fitness, and ability to easily play big shots.
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif feels there is no reason Mahendra Singh Dhoni should not play the next season of the IPL, given his form, fitness, and ability to easily play big shots. Speculation has been rife that Dhoni, who has led CSK to five IPL titles, could have played his last IPL season. The former CSK skipper, who had undergone surgery to treat a knee injury issue the previous year, scored 161 runs in 73 balls at a strike rate of 220.55 this season.
He was also good behind the stumps. Kaif thinks Dhoni has enough left in the tank to keep playing.
“Personally, I don’t think he’s done, he could not win the game (last league match against RCB). In the last over, after hitting a six, he got out. You could make out seeing his body language that he seemed very disappointed not winning the game for CSK,” Kaif, a cricket expert with Star Sports, told PTI Videos.
“Why he should not come back? He is fit, he is scoring runs and hitting sixes, and there’s no reason to stop playing… it’s up to him, we can’t say with Dhoni what’s his plan,” added Kaif, regarded as one of India’s greatest fielders.
The 43-year-old also said that Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Shreyas Iyer had been a revelation with his calm demeanor and attributed the team’s success this year to his leadership qualities.
Two-time IPL champions KKR entered their fourth final with a thumping eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1. They had also topped the league stage with 20 points.
“He (Iyer) missed the whole IPL last year and KKR probably missed his captaincy in 2023. The way he is changing the bowlers, and picking his playing XI, he looks very calm under pressure.
“In a tournament like the IPL, you have to be very composed, you have to know what’s happening in the game and Iyer has come a long way. He has become a much better captain now,” opined Kaif.
Experts also attribute KKR’s success this season to Gautam Gambhir’s return to the side as the team mentor, but Kaif said the team’s superb run had a lot to do with how Iyer marshals his boys on the field.
“We always talk about (Gautam) Gambhir, but he can’t enter the field… in the rope with the players. Iyer has been there with the players and it will help him grow as a person and player.
“He missed out on the (T20) World Cup this year (beginning in the US and West Indies next month), but certainly it’s great learning for him, captaining the team, leading it to the finals. He has a great future ahead,” said Kaif.
Kaif said KKR was the overwhelming favorite to lift the IPL trophy this season. They have quality bowlers and a balanced side, which are the two ingredients required to win.
“I think KKR is a very well-balanced side. Tournament-winning team has to have good bowlers, KKR has got the bowlers. You saw how (Mitchell) Starc bowled against (SRH in Qualifier 1), it’s a balanced side. KKR has got all bases covered in terms of batting and bowling. They are the team to beat in IPL, they are way ahead.”
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Top Cricket News, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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