MS Dhoni's Legacy Continues: Why MSD is Extending His Cricket Career for IPL 2025 and beyond

MS Dhoni's presence in the upcoming IPL 2025 season appears to be all but certain, as he is expected to be retained by the Chennai Super Kings as an uncapped player. This news has come as a significant boost for the franchise, as Dhoni's experience and leadership will be invaluable for both the team and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. With Dhoni in the team, he can help shape the future of the franchise and pass on his knowledge and skills to the younger players like Gaikwad. This development is sure to excite CSK fans and cricket enthusiasts alike, as they eagerly anticipate Dhoni's return to the field.

Gaikwad was absolutely given the freedom to lead CSK his way, and Dhoni was seen not interfering in the decision making process during the IPL 2024 matches. But Gaikwad would be the first one to accept that Dhoni might just be the best school, when it comes to learning captaincy and knowing how to make the optimum use of resources at hand.

During the IPL 2024 season, it was expected that Dhoni would bid adieu to the tournament, however, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) played spoilsport as they defeated CSK in the crucial group stage match, and as a result, Dhoni and co, crashed out of the tournament, before making the playoffs stage. This loss might have egged Dhoni on, to play one more season, as he has always maintained that he wants to play his last IPL game at Chepauk .

Recently, at an event, Dhoni addressed his playing future in the IPL, saying he just wants to enjoy his cricket. He also talked about how important is staying fit for him.

"I just want to enjoy whatever last few years of cricket I can play. When you play cricket like a professional sport, it becomes difficult to enjoy it just like a game. That’s what I want to do. It’s not easy. The emotions keep coming, the commitments are there. I want to enjoy the game for the next few years," he said.

"I have to keep myself fit for nine months, so that I can play two and a half months of IPL. You need to plan it out, but at the same time chill a bit," said Dhoni.

During the event, MS Dhoni also explained why he batted lower down the order, and why the likes of Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja batted ahead of the him, in the batting order. He said that he wanted to give Dube and Jadeja ample chances as they were going to play in the T20 World Cup.

"My thinking was simple- if others are doing their job well, why do I need to come up the order. If you're talking about last season specifically, the T20 World Cup squad was going to be announced soon," said Dhoni.

"So we have to give people who are fighting for a spot a chance. In our team, we had a few, Ravindra Jadeja was there, Shivam Dube was there, so you give them an opportunity to prove themselves to get into the Indian team," he added.

In IPL 2024, MS Dhoni proved to be a six-hitting specialist as he hammered 13 sixes. It is important to mention that he faced just 73 balls in the entire tournament. Apart from 13 sixes, Dhoni also managed to hit 14 hours.

CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan also seemed elated with Dhoni expressing his desire to play one more IPL season. Speaking to Sportstar, the CSK CEO said, "We saw what he said in the press conference. When he says he wants to enjoy, what more do we want? We are happy. We will sit and discuss with him once he returns to Ranchi on October 28 or 29."

“We know he will always have the best interests of CSK in mind and holds Mr. N. Srinivasan in high regard. We will abide by whatever decision he takes," he added.