Back'MS Dhoni can't leave…': CSK veterans reveal why Mahi may be back for IPL 2025
MS Dhoni seen leaving the ground after CSK vs RCB match, speculations on IPL retirement intensify with playoff disqualification. Ambati Rayudu urges Dhoni to play one more season to bid adieu fittingly.
PremiumA distraught MS Dhoni was seen walking off the field after Saturday's match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. While there had been speculation that Dhoni would announce his IPL retirement, the loss to RCB and the play-off disqualification have only added fuel to the fire. Now, former CSK veterans Ambati Rayudu and Matthew Hayden have offered competing views on Thala's future in the IPL.
Rayudu, who was part of the CSK set-up for the last few years before finally announcing his retirement after the 2023 IPL, said that a play-off disqualification cannot be the way MS Dhoni bids farewell to cricket.
Speaking on Star Sports, Rayudu said, “MS Dhoni should play one more season. This shouldn’t be his last as he cannot leave like this. He should play next season and win the IPL. He’s a once-in-a-generation player and once-in-a-generation human being,"
This is it': Matthew Hayden predicts MS Dhoni's retirement
Meanwhile, former CSK opener Matthew Hayden said that while fans may have seen the last of MS Dhoni as an IPL batsman, the veteran player could return to CSK next year in a mentoring or coaching role.
Speaking on Star Sports Cricket Live, Hayden said, “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,"
“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," the veteran Aussie added.
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