Off The Field

MS Dhoni breaks silence on his IPL retirement amidst harsh criticism

Written by Mohan Sharma

Speculations over MS Dhoni’s retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) have been spreading like wildfire ever since Chennai Super Kings’ clash with the Delhi Capitals on Saturday. Dhoni, who is aged 43, has been a part of many retirement speculations in the past, but with his performances hitting a new low, especially from the batting standpoint, many feel that this season is likely to be his last for CSK as a player. Speaking to Raj Shamani in a podcast, however, Dhoni cleared his stance, putting an end to all rumours on the subject of retirement.

During the podcast, Dhoni said that he is not going to make up his mind about prolonging his playing career anytime soon. After the 18th edition of the IPL concludes in May, Dhoni is keen to use the next 10 months in deciding what he wants to do next year.

“I am still playing the IPL and one year at a time. I am 43, by the end of this IPL season, I will be 44 in July. So I have 10 months to decide whether I want to play one more year and it’s not me deciding; it’s my body, whether you can play or not,” he said on Raj Shamani’s podcast.

Since the start of the IPL 2025 season, Dhoni has impressed one and all with his wicket-keeping abilities and fitness. His mind has also remained as sharp as ever, while his reflexes have shown no signs of a decline. But it’s with the bat that Dhoni has struggled.

Though Dhoni has only been dismissed once in 4 matches this campaign, he hasn’t succeeded in finishing even a single innings on a strong note.

In the match against Delhi Capitals, Dhoni could only score a 26-ball 30 as the Super Kings succumbed to a 50-run loss. With CSK securing just 1 win from their first 4 matches, a lot needs to be changed if the franchise is to finish among the top 4 sides in this campaign.

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Mohan Sharma