Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni sparked retirement rumors by wearing a T-shirt with “One Last Time” written in Morse code. However, the wicketkeeper-batter stated that he can continue playing for the franchise for as long as he wants ahead of the high-profile clash against Mumbai Indians.
Dhoni’s IPL retirement murmurs have been ongoing since 2021. However, the 43-year-old continued to play in the tournament. The wicketkeeper-batter has led Chennai Super Kings to five titles in the league, with their last victory in the 2023 season. Dhoni is also the most-capped IPL player with 264 matches.
I Can Play for as Long as I Want for CSK – MS Dhoni
Ahead of Chennai Super Kings’ clash against Mumbai Indians at Chepauk, MS Dhoni broke his silence on retirement speculations. He stated that he can continue playing for CSK as long as he wants.
The 43-year-old highlighted the strong bond between him and the franchise, adding that they are not ready to part ways. Dhoni humorously added that even if he were injured or in a wheelchair, CSK would still convince him to play another season.
“I can play for as long as I want for CSK. That’s my franchise. Even if I’m in a wheelchair, they’ll drag me,” he said while speaking to JioHotstar.
MS Dhoni Set To Play His 18th Consecutive IPL Season
MS Dhoni played with a knee injury in the 2023 IPL season and underwent surgery after the event. He spent the rest of the year recovering before returning for IPL 2024, where he stepped down as CSK captain and batted lower down the order. Dhoni scored 161 runs off 73 balls at a strike rate of 220.
The 43-year-old cricketer is set to play his 18th consecutive IPL season. With the BCCI reviving an old rule, Dhoni was retained by CSK as an uncapped player with a salary cap of ₹4 crore. The seasoned campaigner will play a crucial role for CSK as a lower-order batter and wicketkeeper behind the stumps.
MS Dhoni On The Verge Of Becoming CSK’s All-Time Highest Run-Scorer
Chennai Super Kings had a disappointing IPL 2024 campaign. The Chennai-based franchise finished in fifth place in the points table and missed out on the playoffs. They will kick off their IPL 2025 season with the ‘El Clasico’ clash against Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on March 23.
CSK have strengthened their spin attack by bringing in Ravichandran Ashwin and Noor Ahmad while keeping the majority of their 2023 title-winning squad intact.
MS Dhoni is on the verge of becoming the all-time highest run-scorer for the Super Kings in the IPL. He just needs 19 runs to surpass Suresh Raina, who scored 4687 runs. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja is eight wickets away from overtaking Dwayne Bravo (140 wickets) as the franchise’s leading wicket-taker.
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