As the speculation surrounding MS Dhoni’s IPL retirement reaches a fever pitch, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has pulled no punches. Known for his candid and brutally honest commentary, Manjrekar admitted he has completely run out of patience and energy when it comes to discussing the veteran wicketkeeper-batter’s future.
Dhoni’s season has been completely derailed by severe physical setbacks. He hasn’t played a single match for the five-time champions this year after suffering an initial pre-season calf strain, followed by an additional calf tweak in a warm-up game and a reported thumb injury. Despite traveling and training with the squad on multiple occasions, his continued absence from the starting XI has fueled endless speculation.
“I Just Don’t Care Anymore”
When pressed on whether cricket fans would get to see Dhoni take the field one final time before the season ends, Manjrekar made it perfectly clear that he has completely tuned out the noise.
“To be very honest, I’ve exhausted myself so much talking about another icon. I’ve got nothing left to say about Dhoni. And if you want a very short and brutally honest answer, it doesn’t matter. Whether he plays, whether he doesn’t play, and all that, yeah, CSK have handled that situation very differently and something that I’ve lost interest in,” Manjrekar told Sportstar.
While Manjrekar heavily criticized the circus surrounding the veteran, he was quick to separate his critique of the current situation from his immense respect for Dhoni’s historical legacy.
Manjrekar's Dual View on Dhoni
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The Legacy: █ "Favorite captain... all-time great."
The Present: █ "A shadow of himself... team messed up."
“I mean, what he’s done for India is something that I’ll take to bed every time. He is one of my favorite captains and one of the all-time greats,” he added. “The current version is obviously a shadow of himself, and this CSK just handled that Dhoni phenomenon very poorly, resulting in the whole team just messing up.”
Prime Dhoni and the Playoff Realities
Chennai Super Kings have struggled heavily for tactical consistency, leaving them battling intensely in a crowded mid-table race for the final playoff spots. Manjrekar fiercely defended current skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, shifting the entire blame onto the team management and owners for allowing the Dhoni narrative to overshadow the young captain’s leadership.
Interestingly, Manjrekar noted that the current roster isn’t completely devoid of talent—it simply lacks the legendary, sharp-witted leadership of the past.
“Even this team that we see, the CSK team, if Dhoni in his prime was leading this team, this team would have been in the playoffs,” Manjrekar firmly asserted.
A Harsh Lesson in Emotional Management
Franchise cricket is a high-stakes, performance-driven environment, and Manjrekar believes CSK’s biggest failure was letting nostalgia block their tactical vision. He noted that accommodating a 44-year-old player who doesn’t play any other competitive cricket throughout the year is no longer a viable long-term solution.
According to Manjrekar, the franchise has paid a massive price on the points table for its sentimentality:
- Losing Track of Reality: Teams must stay emotionally attached to current form, performance, and point table logic—not individuals.
- The “Four-Ball” Illusion: Relying on Dhoni to simply walk out in the final over to face three or four balls might satisfy a devoted fanbase, but it isn’t a modern strategy designed to win intense T20 matches.
- Living in the Past: Both CSK and Mumbai Indians have shown a dangerous tendency to over-invest emotionally in big-name, past-prime brands rather than backing players currently in their T20 prime.
CSK has learned one harsh lesson—don’t get too emotional about your players. Be emotional about the reality, the performances, your current standing, and the points table. Be focused on that,” Manjrekar concluded.