After guiding the Chennai Super Kings to their 10th final in the Twenty20 league, captain M.S. Dhoni of Chennai stated on Tuesday that he will take some time before the IPL auction in December to determine whether or not he will continue his playing career.
It is possible that Dhoni played his final match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, which is the team’s home stadium, since the four-time winners won the first play-off by 15 runs over the holders, the Gujarat Titans.
Dhoni, who has a knee injury that has reduced his ability to sprint between the wickets, has added fuel to the conjecture fire by expressing gratitude to the spectators who have turned out in huge numbers both at home and on the road during the course of this season.
When the broadcaster Harsha Bhogle questioned Dhoni whether or not the play-off match was his final match at home, Dhoni said, “I don’t know, I have eight or nine months to decide.”
Why put yourself through the hassle right now when the little auction won’t take place until around December? “I have a lot of time to figure this out,” he remarked.
“Whether it be in the shape of a player or sitting someplace else, I will always be there for CSK. I can’t really comment on it. To tell the truth, however, it exacts a significant cost. Since January, I have not been living at home, and I began training in March, so we will have to wait and see.”
The 41-year-old is the most decorated cricketer in India’s history and has led his country’s side to victory in two World Cups, including the first-ever Twenty20 World Cup, which took place in 2007.
When he was at the height of his game, Dhoni excelled in the position of an innings finisher. He has brought his strong batting form and natural ability to lead into the Indian Premier League. He has a devoted following of millions of people who refer to him as “Thala,” which means “leader” in the Tamil language.
This year, the wicketkeeper who can also bat has remade himself as a lower-order batsman, coming in at number eight and blasting a couple significant sixes.
On Tuesday, we said our final goodbyes. He was greeted enthusiastically by the virtually sold-out crowd as he entered the nearly filled stadium, but he failed to hit either of the first two balls.
Dhoni, sometimes known as “Captain Cool,” rallied the rest of his squad to defend 172 while dismissing Gujarat for 157 runs.
The final will take place on Sunday at the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, and it will see Chennai competing against the victor of the third play-off.