Despite growing speculation that IPL 2024 might mark his farewell, Deepak Chahar, a teammate of MS Dhoni in the Chennai Super Kings, remains steadfast in his belief that the iconic cricketer still possesses the skill and stamina to extend his IPL career for two more seasons.
In IPL 2023, many pundits thought it could be Dhoni’s final stint with CSK, especially after the 42-year-old led his team to a historic fifth championship title. However, Dhoni reassured his vast fan base that he would indeed participate in IPL 2024, aiming to express gratitude to his supporters for their unwavering backing.
Since then, numerous voices have joined the discussion surrounding the possibility of the veteran batsman bidding farewell to his illustrious IPL career in the upcoming season. During a conversation with former Indian cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel, Chahar emphasized that Dhoni showcased multiple instances of his enduring prowess in IPL 2023, proving he still retains the same lethal ability as before.
“In T20s you retire when you feel 140kmph is extremely fast. Last year, you see how MS Dhoni hit sixes against 145kmph and we see that in the nets as well. He will play this year. I think he will decide after this season. I personally think he can play for two years,” said Chahar.
Chahar’s statement clears that MS Dhoni will play for CSK this year and he believes that he can extend it to one more year.
Former India skipper MS Dhoni who led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fifth IPL title hinted at a “new role” ahead of the upcoming season. Dhoni took to Facebook and expressed his excitement about the upcoming season and dropped a hint about his “new role” leaving fans speculating about what Dhoni could be referring to.
“Can’t wait for the new season and the new ‘role’. Stay tuned,” Dhoni posted on Facebook. (IPL 2024: Virat Kohli Vs Gautam Gambhir To Rinku Singh’s 5 Sixes; Unforgettable Moments From Last Season – In Pics)
Dhoni has had one of the most inspiring journeys in sports history. From working as a ticket collector at a railway station, he transformed into India’s biggest trophy collector, leading the team to the ICC T20 World Cup 2007, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013 as skipper.
Dhoni has led CSK to five IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023. Dhoni has also led CSK to two CLT20 titles in 2010 and 2014. With this, he is not only the most successful captain in franchise cricket as well, but cricket in general. (Rinku Singh To Play T20 World Cup 2024? Batter Summoned To Dharamsala By Team India For Photoshoot)
The right-handed batter has played 250 IPL matches, mostly for CSK, other than a stint with Rising Pune Supergiant from 2016 to 2017. In these matches, he has scored 5,082 runs at an average of 38.79. He has also scored 24 half-centuries in the tournament. He also has 142 catches and 42 stumpings.
He made his international debut in 2004 and made a name for himself as a ferocious hitter of the cricket ball, but mellowed down with time to a finisher who would guide his team to wins with his calculated aggression and amazing tactics.
As a captain, he led India in 60 Test matches, out of which they won 27 matches, lost 18 and drew 15. With a win percentage of 45.00, he is one of India’s most successful skippers across all eras. He led Team India to the number one ranking in the ICC Test Rankings. He is also the only Indian skipper to whitewash Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, doing so in the 2010-11 and 2012-13 series.
Dhoni’s strongest format was the ODIs. In 350 ODIs, he scored 10,773 runs at an average of 50.57. He scored 10 centuries and 73 fifties for India, with the best score of 183*. He is India’s fifth-highest scorer in ODIs (with Sachin Tendulkar at the top with 18,426 runs). He is also the 11th most successful ODI batter of all time. The fact that he managed to score 10,000-plus runs at an average of over 50 while coming down the order makes his statistics even more astonishing.