CSK CEO drops major hint on MS Dhoni’s retirement plans

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan remains hopeful about the return of franchise icon MS Dhoni for the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

CSK’s title defence ended following their defeat against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M Chinnaswamy Stadium last week. Since the heartbreaking defeat, speculations have been building around Dhoni’s possible involvement in the next season.

Dhoni has remained tight-lipped about his future, leaving fans guessing. Addressing these speculations, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan shared his thoughts on what the future might hold for the veteran wicketkeeper. “I do not know. It is a question that only MS can answer. The question for us, we have always respected the decisions taken by MS, we have left it to him,” Viswanathan said on the CSK YouTube channel.

He continued, “As all of you know, he has always taken his decisions and announced it at the appropriate time. We do expect that we will get a decision as and when he decides. But we are very, very hopeful that he will be available for CSK next year. That is the view and expectations of the fans and mine.”

As the 42-year-old Dhoni approaches the twilight of his career, he has faced numerous questions about his retirement plans over the years. Throughout the 14 games that CSK played this season, Dhoni avoided media interactions, keeping his plans under wraps. If he continues to play next season, Dhoni will be 43 years old.

Due to knee surgery last year, CSK managed Dhoni’s workload throughout their IPL campaign. This season, for the first time in his illustrious T20 career, Dhoni batted at the number 9 spot at the scenic Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. Despite coming out to bat when only a handful of deliveries were left, Dhoni put up impressive figures in 14 matches, amassing 161 runs at an average of 53.67 and a staggering strike rate of 220.55.