Former South African captain Shaun Pollock has dropped a bombshell remark regarding MS Dhoni’s future in the IPL reckons that MS Dhoni  will bid adieu to all forms of cricket after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were knocked out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 playoff race. Pollock feels that at 43, MS Dhoni is unlikely to continue playing as it takes a toll to maintain fitness standards for the entire year to play just two months of cricket. He, however, backed the legendary player to make his own call.
The most capped player in the history of the cash-riched league IPL, former Indian skipper MS Dhoni was touted once again to marshal his troops in Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) bid to defend the title only to change when Ruturaj Gaikwad took over the mantle from the legend. The Yellow Brigade edged past 2022 champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final-ball thriller to lift the famous trophy for the record-equaling fifth time last season.
MS Dhoni a nationwide rage during IPL 2023 playing for Chennai Super Kings
“CSK is Dhoni. Dhoni is CSK” Chennai Super Kings local boy now which hails from Ranchi. MS Dhoni is the only player to record 250 appearances in the cash-rich league. The 42-year-old has amassed 5082 runs with an average of 38.79. Thala Dhoni has smashed 24 half-centuries in his iconic IPL career. Under MS Dhoni’s talismanic captainship many youngsters got groomed from 2008 to 2023 who later went on to be part of Indian national team playing 11.
The advice to the youngsters of each team after the match from MS Dhoni is as value as of gold for upcoming talents who wait even if their teams wains or looses only to meet MS Dhoni. Year 2023 saw a nationwide rage with speculations around that finally it would be curtains for MS Dhoni the player in IPL as fans flocked to every venue in yellow to support MS Dhoni.
This overwhelmed support from the fans all round compelled MS Dhoni to return back to play for season 2024 only for the fans as stated by him in the presentation of the finals of 2023 where CSK won the title equaling Mumbai Indians(MI) tally of 5 IPL titles.
All said and done MS Dhoni who was seeing limping all round throughout IPL season 2023, to go back and have a knee surgery to be more fitter for at-least one more season
MS Dhoni’s IPL season in 2024 and 2025
A section of fans wondered if MS Dhoni had played his last match for CSK on Saturday, May 18 and whether his IPL career ended in a heartbreak. Dhoni’s valiant effort of 25 off 13 balls was not enough as the Super Kings crashed out of the playoffs race after losing to RCB by 27 runs in their must-win IPL 2024 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Dhoni hit a 110m-six when CSK needed 17 runs in the last over bowled by Yash Dayal. Dhoni was not able to control his emotions as he was seen angry after getting out in the second delivery of the final over. Dhoni punched his bat while walking back to the dugout and was seen tensed in the dugout even as Yash Dayal completed a terrific final over and sealed the deal for RCB.
MS Dhoni was seen walking off the field after the customary post-match handshake as the disappointment on his face was visible after having missed a golden opportunity to seal another famous win for the Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Quite a few fans urged MS Dhoni not to retire after the heartbreaking defeat and urged the 42-year-old to continue playing in the IPL for at least one more year. A section of fans also pointed out that MS Dhoni’s international career also ended in heartbreak as India lost the ODI World Cup semi-final in 2019 to New Zealand after a fifty from the veteran wicketkeeper-batter. While Dhoni did not announce retirement after the match, he confirmed the end of his international career on August 15, 2020 in a famous Instagram post.
MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja came up with valiant efforts with the bat after CSK were reduced to 129 for 6 in the 15th over. Barring Rachin Ravindra (61) and Ajinkya Rahane (33), none of the other CSK batters were able to get going after RCB posted a mammoth total of 218 in 20 overs.
CSK needed 201 to reach the playoffs as the result did not matter for the 5-time champions. However, RCB did wonderfully well to restrict CSK to 191 for 7 in 20 overs. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 42 off 22, but his effort was not enough. If MS Dhoni announces retirement in the near future, he will end his IPL career as the joint-most successful captain. He would finish with 5243 runs in 264 matches and as the most successful captain in terms of win percentage, having led 226 times in the T20 league.
However as luck would have its say MS Dhoni aged 43 returned to play for CSK as uncapped player in 2025 eventually turning out to captain the side after 5 matches due to injury to regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.MS Dhoni is the most capped player in IPL history. He was retained for Rs 4 crore by CSK ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auctions.
Legendary South Africa cricket team fast bowler Shaun Pollock said that he will be surprised to see MS Dhoni playing for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL next year and added that the team is ready to go forward under Ruturaj Gaikwad’s leadership
MS Dhoni has won as much as anyone- Shaun Pollock
Former South African captain Shaun Pollock has dropped a bombshell remark regarding MS Dhoni’s future in the IPL. Earlier, it was speculated that the Chennai Super Kings legend would hang up his gloves at the end of this season. The franchise might have planned a memorable farewell for Dhoni, who has led them to five IPL titles. But everything seems to have got messed up. With four matches in hand, CSK have already crashed out of the playoff race. A below-par batting show is mostly responsible for their dismal campaign.
Dhoni reclaimed the captaincy after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the season due to an elbow injury. The former Indian skipper, however, has been unable to change their fortunes. After CSK lost to Punjab Kings to register their eighth defeat of the season, Shaun Pollock discussed the possibilities for Dhoni to come back in IPL 2026.
“I don’t think CSK needs Dhoni as the captain next season. He is having to step in because Gaikwad is injured. He has nothing more to achieve. He has won as much as anyone. It’s going to be down to what he wants because of the legacy he has left and the impact he has had on the franchise,” Pollock said during an interaction with Cricbuzz.
“They have kind of given him free rein to be the one who makes the call. We will wait until you have decided you have had enough. Will that change? I don’t know.
“Would the owners have a word with him? We’ve tried to predict this for so long, and now we sound like a broken record,” he explained further.
At the end of the conversation, Pollock said that he would be surprised if Dhoni considers playing in the next IPL. “We can’t get to the bottom of it,” the Proteas legend added.
MS Dhoni famously said at the end of the 2020 season that he was ‘definitely not’ going to retire from the IPL. MS Dhoni conceded the title triumph in 2023 was probably the best time to call time on his IPL career, but he wanted to play more as a ‘return gift’ to his fans nationwide. Chennai Super Kings will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their next IPL fixture, scheduled for Saturday, May 3 but loyal fans of CSK would love to see Dhoni go out maintaining his legacy after IPL 2025 .
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