MS Dhoni plans to play in the first season of the 2025 Indian Premier League, which is set to start on March 22. After his final appearance for India in their 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand on July 9, 2019, the 43-year-old declared his retirement from international cricket.
Even though it has been over six years since then, he has continued to play a crucial role in CSK’s most recent seasons. He has been a retired international player for almost five years, hence Dhoni will play as an uncapped player in the upcoming season.
When MS Dhoni retires
He talked candidly about his last IPL years on Wednesday at the opening of an event. “I’ve been retired since 2019, so it will be quite some time,” he told PTI. What I’ve been doing in the interim is simply enjoying cricket for the final few years that I will be able to play, you know.
“I want to appreciate it the way I did in school as a kid. We would go play cricket most of the time since 4 p.m. was sports time when I lived in a colony.
However, we used to play football when the weather didn’t allow it. It’s easier said than done, but I want to play with the same level of innocence.
The legendary footballer from India also offered some guidance to aspiring athletes. As a cricket player, I’ve always aspired to play for the Indian team as I’ve previously stated that not everyone has the opportunity to represent their nation.
For me, the nation always came first since, as cricket players, we had the opportunity to earn awards for the nation whenever we performed on a major platform or went on tour.
“You must always determine what is best for you. I made sure that cricket was everything to me when I was playing; nothing else mattered. When did I have to go to bed? What time I had to get up? The most crucial factor was how it affected (my) cricket. You know, the fun and friendships can wait till later. He went on to say, “I think the best thing you can do (for yourself) is to recognize that everything has its proper time.”
Many fans, past players, and analysts agree that Dhoni is the best captain in cricket history. As the only captain to win three separate limited overs ICC championships, Dhoni led India to victory in the 2007 World T20, 2011 ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy. In addition, he led India to the Asia Cup championships in 2010 and 2016 and was a part of the winning team in 2018.
Although he delegated the CSK leadership to Ruturaj Gaikwad prior to the 2024 IPL season, he remains the main decision-maker during games.
