India's legendary captain MS Dhoni has never been someone who has played a farewell game. He bid adieu to Test cricket quietly, passing the captaincy to Virat Kohli. In ODIs and T20Is, it was the break in international cricket due to Covid-19 that nudged Dhoni towards decision from white-ball cricket. But, in the Indian Premier League (IPL), it has been a different story. He was speculated to retire after Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) IPL 2023 triumph with a happy ending but the journey continued. As CSK's IPL 2025 campaign to an end, Dhoni kept the suspense alive saying it depends on his fitness. While the wicketkeeper-batter has the luxury of time, his former CSK teammate Robin Uthappa said that the 'fire still burns'.
“It all depends on his health and how he feels. You have to understand that he really wants to play — the fire still burns. From what he said during the post-match presentation, it’s clear that the fire still burns to win championships, to play out there in the middle," Uthappa said on JioHotstar.
Dhoni is playing as an uncapped player for Rs 4 crore after the league made a tweak in the rules. Uthappa said that Dhoni's retirement depends on how his body responds otherwise he will announce his retirement from the league before the mini-auction via social media.
"Now it’s about going back and working on his body to bring it to the level he wants for the next IPL. If that doesn’t happen, he’ll call it before the mini-auction. If not, you’ll see a tweet or an Instagram post,” Uthappa added.
Big win to sign off for CSK
CSK ended their IPL 2025 campaign with a dominating 83-run win against Gujarat Titans (GT) at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. CSK posted 230/5, their highest score of the season, thanks to Devon Conway and Dewald Brevis' half-centuries. Then, three-fers from Anshul Kamboj and Noor Ahmad helped visitors bowl out hosts for 147 in the penultimate over. This is the first time they finished at the bottom of the points table.
Earlier this season, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming had said that Dhoni cannot bat for more than 10 overs because of his knees. Dhoni is soon to be a 44-year-old. While he is not 100 per cent fit, it will be interesting to see if he continues to play in the IPL or hangs up his boots.