- Saturday, March 01, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday (21) dropped a hint that he could be playing in his final Indian Premier League (IPL) edition, saying “it’s the last phase of my career”.
His remark came at the end of the match between Chennai Super Kings, the franchise Dhoni leads in the PL, and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing season. Chennai won the match played at MA Chidambaram Stadium by seven wickets with New Zealander Devon Conway belting his third half-century of the current season and Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja taking three crucial wickets. Hyderabad managed a modest total of 134 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their 20 overs and Chennai overhauled the target comfortably losing just three wickets and with eight balls to spare.
The win saw Chennai reaching the third position in the points table with eight points in six outings.
“All said and done, it’s the last phase of my career, however long I play,” Dhoni, who will turn 42 this July, said after the match amid the fans’ loud cheer.
“After two years, the fans have had the opportunity to come here and watch, feels good to be here. Crowd has given us a lot of love and affection,” he added.
Dhoni was all praise for young Sri Lankan pace bowler Matheesha Pathirana, who bowled four superb overs and grabbed two wickets, even though he was a little expensive, conceding 42 runs.
Dhoni, who is the only India captain to win the T20 world cup and one of the two captains to win the one-day international world cup other than Kapil Dev, has been leading CSK since the IPL’s inaugural season in 2008, barring the two seasons when CSK did not feature in the tournament. He guided them to the final as many as nine teams and saw them winning the trophy four times.
His last appearance for the Indian national team was in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup that India lost to New Zealand.
