MS Dhoni’s future in the Indian Premier League was the biggest question mark after Chennai Super Kings’ final match against Gujarat Titans. The 43-year-old captain had a quiet season with the bat, and his team failed to make the playoffs. Dhoni’s post-match comments only added to the suspense.
“I’ve got four to five months to decide,” Dhoni said. “No rush. I need to keep my body fit. If cricketers start retiring based on performance, some would quit at 22. I’ll head back to Ranchi, enjoy some bike rides. I’m not saying I’m retiring, nor am I saying I’m coming back. I’ve got time to think and decide.”
Dhoni’s batting didn’t make a big impact in IPL 2025, and the team’s failure to qualify for the playoffs raised questions about his future. After the final league match, Dhoni spoke about his plans, saying he would take his time to decide on his future.
The Chennai captain also expressed hope that next season would be better with Rituraj Gaikwad returning from injury. Dhoni joked that the only thing making him look old was his age. “Rituraj doesn’t need to worry too much,” he said. “He’ll fit into one of the roles. He’s 15 years younger than me, which makes me feel old.”
Looking back at the season, Dhoni admitted that the batting had let him down. “Our season wasn’t great,” he said. “Today’s performance was one of the better ones. We didn’t catch well, but today was good. I was worried about the batting. We can put runs on the board, but there are areas to improve.”