MS Dhoni has been advised to seriously consider his future after the Chennai Super Kings suffered another disastrous IPL campaign.
There was a time when nothing MS Dhoni did could go wrong. Anything he touched turned into gold. Be it the first-ever T20 World Cup, or the first 50-over World Cup, the first tri-series in Australia or becoming the first-ever captain to win all three ICC major events. However, the fact of the matter is that it was all a lifetime ago. Dhoni is now 43, and despite trying his best to stretch in the interest of the Chennai Super Kings, it’s all going horribly wrong for him and the franchise. It’s close to six years since Dhoni retired from international cricket, and no amount of training for a month or two is enough to perform at the top, let alone a tournament with a competitive nature like the Indian Premier League.
IPL 2025 was a classic case of Dhoni being way past his prime. This is the first time in the ongoing season that CSK has finished at the bottom of the table with just three wins from 13 matches. Mathematically, they can better it, but let’s face it: On current form, CSK are no match to the in-form Gujarat Titans. Even if, through some miracle, they can slay the table-toppers, they need to win by a massive margin to push the Rajasthan Royals below.
CSK has done a lot of things wrong, dating back to some of their doubtful calls at the auction table in November. As things progressed, Ruturaj Gaikwad got injured, paving the way for Dhoni’s return as captain. But all hopes for Dhoni turning back the clock and reviving CSK’s floundering fortunes diminished before vanishing in thin air. The franchise seriously needs a revamp, but Sanjay Bangar believes Dhoni being at the centre of it is not the way to go about it.
“At 43, even playing local cricket is tough on the body” – Sanjay Bangar to MS Dhoni
“At 43, it’s very tough to play in that competitive environment. Leave aside this competitive environment, but even if you go and play some local cricket, you will find how tough it is on the body. It all boils down to MS, but if I was MS, I would say it’s enough. I have played whatever I wanted to play; I have looked after the interest of the franchise as well – if that was the motivation – but you know, you move on. Allow it. By you being there, if you’re thinking that the transition will happen fast, there is never an ideal time. So you might as well have peace with the fact that even if I leave now, the franchise will develop on its own. It may take a year longer, but I am not going to be there for the entire cycle. So that’s how I would look at MS’ position,” Bangar said on ESPNCricinfo.
CSK, the five-time champions, have blown hot and cold over the last six seasons. Four times they failed to qualify for the Playoffs – in 2020, 2022, 2024 and now 2025, but twice lifted the IPL crown in 2021 and 2023. Perhaps it is the same faith shown by the management in Dhoni that the team is persisting with him. And if a recent report is anything to go by, Dhoni has not hinted at retirement, and the likelihood of him returning next year is high.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
