There was something desperately sad about the sight of MS Dhoni walking around Chepauk at the end of Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) last home game of IPL 2026. He hadn’t played a minute out on the hallowed turf, and everything from his demeanour to the selfies he took with the assembled photographers suggested that this would probably be the last time he took the field as a player. And it made you wonder: how had it come to this?
When Dhoni left Test cricket in December 2014 after the Boxing Day Test in Australia, the questions on everyone’s lips were: “Why? Why now?” By the time he departed the ODI stage after the heartbreaking 2019 World Cup semi-final defeat, there was recognition that his best years were well behind him. Though he delayed the announcement for a year, it was no real shock when it came.
Dhoni, however, remained so committed to CSK that he dragged himself forward and won two more IPL titles in 2021 and 2023. By the time of the second triumph, he was nearly 42, and that would probably have been the perfect time to go. Instead, for reasons best known to him and the franchise, he carried on. Though there have been flashes of genius – intermittent and primarily as a ‘keeper with the fastest hands around – there has been very little left of the Dhoni who was once the gold standard of the league in his prime.
In some ways, that walk around Chepauk brought back memories of Diego Maradona’s final game for Boca Juniors nearly 30 years ago, in October 1997. It was no ordinary game either – the Superclásico against River Plate at El Monumental, the home of Boca’s great rivals. Maradona then was nearly 37, ravaged by injuries, especially muscular problems, and to see him limp through the first half was to watch a parody of what had once been the world’s greatest footballer.
At half-time, Boca put him out of his misery, substituting him with Juan Román Riquelme, who promptly turned the game as Boca came from behind to claim a famous 2-1 victory. The contrast could not have been more stark – the past sitting on the bench, and the dazzling future coming on to transform proceedings.
There is little doubt that Dhoni’s decision not to play this season has had much to do with that as well. Kartik Sharma had a horrible start to his IPL career, but the 20-year-old has grown into his role over the last five games and produced another fine cameo in the loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. It would go against everything that Dhoni the player and leader stood for to take opportunities away from a young player like that, and you can understand why he decided not to risk himself, especially with qualification still in the balance.
The worry for CSK fans now is that they may never get to give Dhoni the farewell he deserves. Maradona, at least, got that, even at the stadium of his greatest rivals. For Dhoni, there might just be this slow walk into cricket’s back pages.
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