MS Dhoni to retire today? Aakash Chopra tweets, ‘Definitely not’:Ashwin says, ‘Not happening today’; Gavaskar chips in with his prediction

Will MS Dhoni retire from the IPL today? The cricket fraternity has been abuzz with speculations as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) get set to play their final home match of the season, a must-win game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, starting at 7:30 PM. Dhoni has been out of action in the IPL all this time after being sidelined due to a calf strain days before the tournament got underway. CSK so far have won six and lost as many out of the 12 games that they have played. Why have MS Dhoni retirement speculations surfaced again? Although there have been expectations before every CSK match that Dhoni would turn up and play, it has not happened. But why have his retirement rumours resurfaced just before the CSK vs SRH match? The reason dates back to 2021, when the five-time IPL-winning captain had said that he would want to play his last T20 match in Chennai. “I have always planned my cricket. The last game I played was in Ranchi. The last home game in ODI was at my hometown in Ranchi. So, hopefully, my last T20 will be in Chennai. Whether it’s next year or in five years’ time, we don’t really know,” he had said. That Dhoni hasn’t played so far has already triggered a buzz on his impending retirement, with many believing that this season will be the final chapter of his story in the IPL. And if his previous comments on retirement are to be taken into account, the speculations are well justified. Will MS Dhoni retire today? Aakash Chopra, R Ashwin have their say Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra took a page out of Dhoni’s book and shut down speculations on the CSK great’s retirement today. “Definitely Not,” he wrote on X, alluding to the fact that the legendary wicketkeeper-batter would not hang up his boots just yet. Ashwin, who played with Dhoni at CSK last season, echoed a similar opinion. However, the former cricketer also predicted that Dhoni might call it a day on his cricketing career next year. “Not happening today! In 2027? Maybe,” his post on X, read. Also read: MS Dhoni flaunts his shooting skills, hits all 6 targets: Thala asks commandos, ‘Don’t I look fit?’ at NSG training facility ‘Bhai khel le Dhoni’ Harbhajan Singh also had his say on the speculations. The former cricketer recalled Dhoni’s previous remarks on playing his last game in Chennai. ” Ab samay agaya hai ki Chennai mein ye aakhri mukabla hai, ho sakta hai ki Thala ko hum khelte huye kal dekhe aur last time ye Chennai ka crowd kal Thala ko khelte huye dekhe.” (The time has come that Chennai will play their last home match and the Chennai crowd might get to see Thala in action for the last time). Singh made a hilarious appeal to Dhoni to play, stating that if he did not feature against SRH, he would perhaps be in action next season. “Bhai khel ke kal Dhoni. Nahi toh main aya tere Chennai, main pakad ke le jaunga ground ke andar ki chal, khelte hai,” he joked. (Dhoni, brother, please play. Or else I will come to Chennai and make you play).
Sunil Gavaskar thinks Dhoni would not feature in CSK’s must-win match While the talk is about Dhoni retiring or not, Sunil Gavaskar was doubtful about whether CSK would bring in their former captain for an absolute must-win clash, albeit it being their last one at home. Dhoni last played cricket in last year’s IPL, on 25 May against the Gujarat Titans. A defeat to the Sunrisers Hyderabad will severely jeopardise CSK’s playoff hopes. “The match against SRH is a crucial one for CSK. It’s their last home game at Chepauk, so naturally fans want to see MS Dhoni play. But he hasn’t featured at all this season. In fact, he hasn’t played competitive cricket for over a year. So, I doubt he would want to take such a risk at this stage,” Gavaskar said. “You need players who have been match-fit and playing regularly for the last six weeks. Dhoni is a complete team man. I don’t think he would want to disrupt the current combination. I would be very surprised if he plays against SRH. This is a must-win game for CSK. A victory keeps them alive in the playoff race. They have to win this match at all costs, and bringing in a player who hasn’t played in over a year could be a gamble,” he added.