 "MS Dhoni has once again refused to reveal his retirement plans. Image: AFP")
Former India fast bowler Atul Wassan believes MS Dhoni will never take up coaching because it doesn’t suit his personality or lifestyle. Dhoni played Chennai Super Kings’ final league stage game of IPL 2025 on Sunday, where they defeated Gujarat Titans by a huge margin. After the match, Dhoni refused to reveal his future plans and said that he would decide on his retirement during the break.
Why Dhoni will never become a coach?
Speaking on OTTPlay, Wassan said Dhoni is better suited to be a mentor than a coach. Wassan explained that coaching is almost like becoming a player again with all the travel, pressure, and planning involved. He said Dhoni wouldn’t want to go through that again, suggesting he is enjoying his retirement life after stepping down from national duties.
“I think he is fit for a mentor, but for coaching, Dhoni does not have patience. Because you know if he becomes a coach, then his lifestyle will keep looping the same way, like touring with the team and all that. Why would he want all that?” Wassan said.
Wassan said coaching is for people like Gautam Gambhir , who like to stay in control and want that importance. Wassan is a former teammate of Gambhir, who played together for Delhi in domestic cricket.
“No, coaching is for people who are control-fixed, like Gautam Gambhir, because he needs importance. But mentoring is different. It’s more like ‘come, have a sit, let’s eat together,’ and some players come to you on their own. You don’t have to be a mentor officially, but mentoring keeps happening around cricket. Players who are close to you will still take advice from you,” he added.
Gambhir is the current head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team and has past experience of mentoring in IPL for teams like Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders. Dhoni, on the other hand, has mentored a team only once when he was called for the 2021 T20 World Cup by the Indian team.
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More ShortsDhoni refuses to clear the air on retirement
Dhoni has kept fans guessing about his future after he didn’t give a clear answer yet again. He has been doing this for the past couple of seasons now. Next year, Dhoni will be 44 and his place in the team is now being questioned. Though CSK ended IPL 2025 with a big win, they endured their worst season in the history of the league by finishing last for the first time.
Dhoni didn’t have a great season with the bat. He scored 196 runs in 14 games, averaging 24.50, and had a strike rate of 135.17, which is much lower than his 220.55 strike rate from the previous season. It will be interesting to see if Dhoni returns as a player or in some other capacity in IPL 2026.