MS Dhoni has said that he will make a decision on his future in “a couple of months”, making sure to state that he is neither committing to continue his career nor to confirming a retirement after Chennai Super Kings’ final game of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Dhoni, 43, had played his 278th IPL match in CSK’s 83-run win over the Gujarat Titans on Sunday.
He was asked about whether he will return for the IPL next season in the presentation ceremony. “Well, it depends. Again, I would say the same thing – I have four or five months to decide. You know, there’s no hurry to decide as to what is to be done,” he said.
When pushed further, Dhoni said: “I’m not saying I’m done, I’m not saying I’m coming back at the same time. I have to have luxury of timing, and, you know, when you have that, then why not think about it and then decide.”
Dhoni took over as captain once again after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out halfway through the league stage with an injury. He admitted that there is extra effort on his body every year that he plays. “Every year, it’s 15 per cent more effort. You have to keep the body fit, not to forget this is top level cricket, you know, it’s professional cricket, you have to be at your best.”
It has been a forgettable season for CSK, who finish rock bottom of the table after just four wins and 10 losses in 14 matches. Even though the customary cheers where seen at stadiums across India whenever he came out to bat, Dhoni did come under fire from fans at various points of the season due to his performances with the bat, particularly in the first half of the league stage. He finished with 196 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 135.17 and average of 24.50. Dhoni stated that he is not going to use his performances as a barometer to decide his future.
“It’s not always performances that you can count because if cricketers start retiring because of performances, a few of them will retired when they are 22. So what is important to see is how much hunger you have, what kind of fitness you have and how much you can contribute to the team, and whether the team needs you or not. So I have enough time. I will go back to Ranchi. I haven’t been home for a long time. Enjoy a few bike rides, a couple of months and then decide,” said Dhoni.
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