Before even the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) commenced over a month ago, fans and former cricketers began speculating about Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni's future. There were numerous reports claiming that IPL 2023 might be the last time Dhoni plays for the Men in Yellow. Having said that, Dhoni himself has come out and said that it is the fans who trying to give him a send-off and that he has not thought about retirement. Yet, the retirement talk continues.
Amidst all the speculation, former CSK all-rounder Dwayne Bravo recently hinted that with the Impact Player rule, Dhoni might prolong his career.
“100%. Especially, with the Impact Player rule. It will keep prolonging his career,” Bravo told anchor Mayanti Langer after the 15-run win over Gujarat Titans at Chepauk in Qualifier 1.
Former India captain and legendary batter, Virender Sehwag disagrees with Bravo. Sehwag reckons that Dhoni will not feature as an Impact Player because his main strength, which is captaincy, would be out of the equation.
"It's not difficult (to play cricket in 40s), if you're fit. MS Dhoni hasn't batted too much this year. He's not aggravating his knee injury. Often, he would come in the last two overs. If I count the total balls he faced, I think he would've faced 40-50 deliveries this season," Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
"Impact Player rule doesn't apply to MS Dhoni. Because he's playing only for captaincy. He has to stay in the ground for captaincy. The Impact Player rule is for someone who doesn't field but bats, or a bowler who doesn't need to bat. Dhoni has to field 20 overs; if he's not the captain, he won't even play as Impact Player. Then, you will see him as mentor or coach or Director of Cricket," said Sehwag.
Dhoni has continued to march on despite a knee injury that has limited his mobility. Known for being lightning quick not just behind the stumps but between the wickets too, Dhoni has refrained from pushing himself to sneak an extra run. Instead, he has relied on his power-hitting and contributed with cameos down the order. He has been flexible with his batting position as well, arriving at the crease when the need of the hour is big hits.
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