MS Dhoni gave a lengthy update on his future retirement after Chennai Super Kings won their fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title by defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets (DLS) on Tuesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The CSK captain, who tied Rohit Sharma for the most IPL titles, stated that while announcing his retirement will be the “easy thing,” he wants to practice for the next nine months and try to participate in the next season as a “gift” for his supporters.
“Are you looking for an answer? Circumstantial evidence suggests that now is the greatest time for me to announce my retirement. But the amount of love and affection I’ve received this year, wherever I’ve gone…The easy thing for me to say would be ‘Thank you very much,’ but the difficult thing for me would be to work hard for nine months and return to play at least one more season of IPL. However, a lot is dependent on the body. It would take 6-7 months to make a decision. It will be more of a gift from me. It’s not easy for me, but the way they’ve expressed their love and affection is something I need to do,” he remarked after the game.
“My eyes were watering, and I needed to rest in the dugout.” I realized I had to have fun with this. I think people like me for who I am; they like how grounded I am and how I don’t attempt to be someone I’m not. Keep it simple. Every title is excellent, but what makes the IPL unique is that every crucial game requires you to be prepared,” he continued.
Under Dhoni’s leadership, Chennai Super Kings added a fifth title to their already illustrious IPL record, defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in a dramatic summit clash.
Dhoni has been the centre of attention since the Indian Premier League debuted this year, and the captain capped off the season with a record-tying fifth trophy.
Gujarat Titans posted 214 for four after being asked to bat first, thanks to B Sai Sudharsan’s 96 in 47 balls.
Set a revised target of 171 in 15 overs after weather disrupted play at the start of the second innings of a final that was moved to the reserve day due to severe precipitation, CSK completed the assignment in the penultimate ball, in what could be Dhoni’s final T20 league game.
Ravindra Jadeja smacked a six and a four off Mohit Sharma in the final two balls to seal the victory for CSK, and even as the players in yellow ran onto the field, Dhoni stayed in the bench, his eyes closed.
Neither the juggernaut of the Gujarat Titans nor two days of bad weather could keep Dhoni’s team from tying Mumbai Indians for the most IPL title wins.
It would be intriguing to watch if Dhoni is able to return and lead CSK again next year, as the entire IPL, including the final, has been dominated by Dhoni-mania.
