MS Dhoni to decide his IPL future

MS Dhoni will take a wait-and-watch approach to his future in the Indian Premier League. The legendary cricketer wants to see if the rules of the IPL change, particularly regarding retaining players before he commits to another season. Dhoni stressed that the decision on his IPL future will be in the best interest of his team, CSK.

The BCCI recently met with franchise owners and officials in Mumbai to discuss various rules, including the Impact Player rule, retention policy of players, and how often the mega auction happens. One mega auction is impending before the next season, and these changes could have a bearing on Dhoni’s decision.

“There is a lot of time for it. We have to see what decision they take on player retention etc. Right now, the ball is not in our court.

“So, once the rules and regulations get formalised, I will take a call (on IPL future), but needs to be in the best interest of the team.”

MS Dhoni’s IPL future is already topic of debate for last few seasons

The 43-year-old, who turned 43 in July, said this during an event in Hyderabad. His IPL future has been a subject of speculation at the end of multiple seasons in recent times. Earlier this year, Dhoni handed over the CSK captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad. Under Gaikwad’s leadership, CSK narrowly missed out on a playoff berth, finishing fifth with 14 points – the same amount as RCB in fourth place but trailing on net run rate.

Dhoni turned out to be the finishing act as a specialist six-hitter in the death overs. Thirteen sixes and 14 fours came off his bat from the 73 balls he faced; he struck at an excellent 220.54—the first time that he had crossed a strike rate of 200. He was unbeaten on eight of his eleven occasions, often batting during the dying moments of a CSK innings, thus giving much-needed impetus to the team’s performance.

The IPL is gearing up for its plans on auction and retention for the 2025 season. Dhoni’s future call will be based on how the new IPL rules work with CSK’s strategy and what his role in the team has to be. The world of fans and experts is waiting with bated breath for him to decide; after all, his decision is bound to influence the planning and performance of CSK in the season ahead.