MS Dhoni has been an icon in Indian cricket history. He has been the most successful Indian captain in history. MSD is also the only captain to lead a team to three different ICC titles. Similarly, his stature in the Indian Premier League is very high.
He is probably the most consistent captain, having led his team, the Chennai Super Kings, five times. Under him, CSK has also won two Champions League titles. But he is already 43 years old and is having a bad knee.
So the biggest question is how long he can play, or have we seen the last of MS Dhoni in the IPL? Well, his participation in the IPL 2025 totally depends on the decision of the franchise.
IPL 2025: MS Dhoni reveals his retirement plans from the Indian Premier League (IPL)
MS Dhoni announced his international retirement in 2020, but he is still active in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings. Over the last few seasons, there have been many speculations about his IPL retirement, but he himself hasn’t announced anything officially.
The IPL 2024 was considered his last because he handed over his captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad. CSK finished fifth on the table by missing a close chance to the playoffs, and MSD made an impact with the bat in the final overs. That raised the question of whether he is willing to continue for another season.
Recently, at an event in Hyderabad, he was asked about his availability for the IPL 2025. MS Dhoni said that there is a long time and he hasn’t decided about it. He said that it all depends on what the BCCI decides about the retentions.
Dhoni said, “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, but it needs to be in the best interest of the team.”
Notably, the BCCI had a meeting with all IPL franchises on July 31 where they decided on the coming season. There is a mega auction scheduled for 2025, and all teams can only retain 3-4 players. The discussion included the impact player rule, retentions, RTM option, etc.
Just after the IPL 2024, MS Dhoni went through knee surgery. He had that injury throughout the competition, but he played with it. The IPL is the only tournament MSD is currently playing. There are high chances if he retires, he will be with CSK as a mentor.
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