MS Dhoni hints at retirement, says 'its the last phase of my career'

After Chennai Super King's easy win over SunRisers Hyderabad in IPL 2023 on April 21, MS Dhoni expressed his future plans, hinting at a probable retirement post IPL.

During the post-match presentation ceremony, Dhoni was at his candid best, speaking about everything from the challenges of controlling Dwayne Bravo to his disappointment at not being given the best catch of the match award.

When asked about the support from the Chennai fans for their home games, MS Dhoni gave a hint about retirement, which caused his fans to become emotional on social media.

MS Dhoni, 41, has kept up his IPL participation even after declaring his retirement from international competition in August 2020. Dhoni has maintained his fitness for the succeeding IPL seasons despite not playing international cricket since July 2019, and even led the Super Kings to victory in 2021.

Dhoni himself put an end to speculation about his future in the IPL when he said he would return to lead Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023. In fact, he had handed over CSK captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja at the start of IPL 2022, hinting at a succession plan at CSK. However, Jadeja handed the reigns back to Dhoni after a poor start to IPL 2022.

Speculation is rife once again even after MS Dhoni looked as fit as ever in the IPL 2023 season and Dhoni added to with his comments while thanking the Chepauk crowd. Notably, Dhoni and CSK have got a roaring reception from the crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium as the 4-time champions returned to play at home for the first time since 2019.

"Whatever said and done, it's the last phase of my career, however long I play. It's very important to enjoy it," Dhoni said.

"Whatever said and done, last phase of my career, important to enjoy it. It feels good to be here. They have given a lot of love and affection. They always stay late to listen to me."

- MS DHONI 🥺@MSDhoni #MSDhoni #WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/yjtCAVUqne

— DHONIsm™ ❤️ (@DHONIism) April 21, 2023

"IPL... after two years, the fans have had the opportunity to come here and watch. It's a full house and the new stands are good. So, it feels good to be here. We haven't played at Chennai a lot, as I said at the start of the season. The crowd has given us a lot of love and affection. They always stay back to hear me out (presentation speech). Not getting enough chances to bat, but no complaints. The guys are doing a fantastic job," he added.