Former India cricketer and 2007 T20 World Cup winner Joginder Sharma feels that it is time for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) icon MS Dhoni to 'rest'. Joginder, who was Dhoni's teammate in both the national team and CSK, bowled the famous final over against Pakistan in the 2007 T20 World Cup final where he dismissed Misbah-ul-Haq which saw the side get bundled out, falling short of the 158-run target by just five runs.
CSK didn't improve under MS Dhoni's leadership either in IPL 2025
After regular CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of IPL 2025 due to an elbow fracture, the leadership duties were handed to MS Dhoni, who had been the side's regular captain from the inaugural season until 2023. However, the team wasn't really able to improve under the former India captain either and soon went on to get knocked out of the tournament.
Rumours about Dhoni's retirement have been arising frequently throughout the season and it will be interesting to see as to what decision will he take at the end of CSK's campaign.
"Considering Mahi's fitness level, he should play up to prove his fitness, but I believe it is time for him to rest," Joginder told ANI.
Dhoni addressed the retirement rumours following CSK's two-wicket victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders on May 7. The 43-year-old stated that he will need to work hard for the next 6-8 months to assess whther his body can take the pressure or not.
"After this IPL gets over, I have to work hard for another 6-8 months to see if my body can take this pressure. Nothing to decide now, but the love and affection I have seen is excellent," Dhoni said at thew post-match presentation.
Despite CSK's highly disappointing campaign, Dhoni still managed to break a couple of records. The Indian cricket icon completed his 400th T20 match during the season and also became the oldest player in IPL history to win the Player of the Match award.
Though the Chennai-based franchise is already out of the playoff race, they still have two matches to play before their campaign comes to an end. Firstly, they will be facing-off against the Rajasthan Royals on May 20 at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi. CSK will conclude their league stage matches with the clash against the Gujarat Titans on May 25 at the Narendra Modi stadium.