Former India, as well as Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, answered the most-awaited question of the IPL 2023 whether this is going to be his final IPL season or he will take part in future as well. But he didn’t directly answer the question as well. The veteran CSK captain admitted that now was the best time to announce retirement, but he felt he could try and give his fans a gift by staying on for another season as well.
“The easy thing for me to say is thank you and retire,” MS Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony. “But the hard thing to do is to work hard for nine months and try to play one more IPL season. The body has to hold up. But the amount of love I have received from CSK fans, it would be a gift from me, to play one more season. The way they’ve shown their love and emotion, it’s something I need to do for them. It [the season] started over here [in Ahmedabad] and the full house was chanting my name. It was my same thing in Chennai, but it will be good to come back and play whatever I can.”
However, IPL’s return to home grounds all around the country for the first time since 2019 and the expectation that MS Dhoni was about to play his last season made headlines. Almost every ground had Dhoni’s supporters in yellow and Dhoni-led CSK won yet another IPL final as well.
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“You do get emotional simply because it’s the last part of my career, it started over here and the first game when I walked down everyone was chanting my name. My eyes were full of water and I just stood there in the dugout for a while. I realised I want to enjoy this. It was the same thing in Chennai, it was my last game over there but it will be good to come back and play whatever I can. They love me for what I am. The kind of cricket I play, I think everyone in the stadium thinks they can play that way because there is nothing orthodox about it. So I feel they can relate to me more than anyone else. I don’t want to change myself, I never wanted to portray myself in a way which I am not. I just keep it simple,” he continued.
He also praised Ajinkya Rahane and Ambati Rayudu, who now has six IPL titles (including the ones he won with MI), played a scintillating cameo (19 off 8 balls) where he took apart Mohit Sharma’s change of pace and helped CSK back on track in the chase before Ravindra Jadeja sealed te deal.
“Every trophy is special, but what is special about IPL is every crunch game you need to be ready. That’s something we have done, there were lapses today, the bowling department didn’t work, but it was the batting department that took the pressure off them today. I do get frustrated, it is human but I try to step into their shoes, every individual deals with pressure differently. Ajinkya and a few others are experienced, so you don’t worry a lot about them. If anyone is confused, then can always ask. The special thing about Rayudu is he will always give his 100% when he is on his field,” he said.
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But with him in the team, I will never win the Fairplay Award. He always wants to contribute and he has been a fantastic cricketer. I’ve been playing with him for a long time, since the India A tours. He’s a player who can play spin and pace equally well. It is something really special. I felt he would do something really special, I’m really happy for him. This game will be one he will remember, he’s also like me – not someone who uses the phone often. What’s important is that he has had a fantastic career and I hope he enjoys the next phase of his life…,” MS Dhoni concluded.
