IPL 2023 Final: MS Dhoni hints at ‘at least one more season’ with CSK after leading them to fifth title

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IPL 2023 Final: MS Dhoni hints at ‘at least one more season’ with CSK after leading them to fifth title

IPL 2023 Final: MS Dhoni hints at ‘at least one more season’ with CSK after leading them to fifth title

FirstCricket Staff • May 30, 2023, 05:55:32 IST

MS Dhoni was asked the all-important question after leading Chennai Super Kings to a five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2023 final, and his answer filled fans with hope of this not being his final appearance in the yellow jersey.

IPL 2023 Final: MS Dhoni hints at ‘at least one more season’ with CSK after leading them to fifth title

The entire country waited with bated breath soon as veteran presenter Harsha Bhogle started interviewing MS Dhoni following Chennai Super Kings' five-wicket triumph over Gujarat Titans in the final of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). Both fans as well as experts had spent the last two months speculating the 16th season of the cash-rich league to be the 41-year-old’s swansong, and there wouldn’t have been a better occasion for him to hang up his boots than right after leading his side to their fifth title triumph and going level with Mumbai Indians in the process. Instead, what Dhoni ended up giving his vast legion of fans present at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad as well as millions more watching on their television sets back home hope of him making one more appearance in the coveted yellow jersey. “Circumstantially if you see, this is the best time for me to announce the retirement. But the amount of love and affection that I have been shown wherever I have been this year, the easy thing for me to say would be like ’thank you very much’. But the tough thing for me is to work hard for another nine months and come back and play at least one more season of IPL. “But, a lot depends on the body. I have six-seven months to decide. It will be more like a gift from my side. It’s not easy for me, but the way they have shown their love and affection, I feel that’s something I need to do for them,” Dhoni said after leading his side to a five-wicket victory over the Hardik Pandya-led Titans, eliciting a loud cheer from the Motera crowd. Dhoni, though, has a penchant for taking the world by surprise with his announcements. He announced his Test retirement midway through the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, handing the reins to Virat Kohli. And he officially declared his international career closed on 15 August, 2020 — more than a year since playing his last game in the blue jersey during the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Manchester. So while MSD has hinted at possibly making another appearance in the league, he still could make a surprise announcement later this year when the franchise gears up for the player auction.

The interaction you were waiting for 😉

MS Dhoni has got everyone delighted with his response 😃 #TATAIPL | #Final | #CSKvGT | @msdhoni pic.twitter.com/vEX5I88PGK
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2023

Dhoni, who made a landmark 250th appearance in the IPL in the final, also showered praise on outgoing Chennai Super Kings batter Ambati Rayudu, who had announced his decision to bring the curtains down on his career after the final. “The special thing about Rayudu is he will always give his 100 per cent when he is on his field. But with him in the team, I will never win the Fair Play award. I’ve been playing with him for a long time, since the India A tours. He’s a player who can play spin and pace equally well. “I felt he would do something really special today, he’s also like me — not someone who uses the phone often. I hope he enjoys the next phase of his life,” Dhoni added. Rayudu smashed 19 off 8 balls in a lively cameo, which included two sixes and a four off Mohit Sharma’s bowling, Mohit would end up removing both Rayudu and Dhoni — the latter for a golden duck — in successive deliveries in the 13th over of CSK’s chase.

𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦!

Two shots of excellence and composure!

Finishing in style, the Ravindra Jadeja way 🙌#TATAIPL | #Final | #CSKvGT pic.twitter.com/EbJPBGGGFu
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2023

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