IPL 2022: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion on whether MS Dhoni will play for CSK next season.
Chennai Super Kings’ hopes of qualifying for the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs were dashed on Thursday as the team suffered five defeats to Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. Batting first, CSK were tied for 97 runs when Daniel Sams came back with three wickets. Captain MS Dhoni was CSK’s lone ranger as he shot an unbeaten 36, but he wasn’t ideally supported at the other end and had no partner.
“Well, I mean, look at the way he has played. He is clearly showing he is keen, still enthusiastic about the game. In the field, what is sometimes most telling is that when you get to 8-9 and you are looking to sort of give up the game, but here he was running between the overs, he was running from one end to the other, and it shows he was keen to get the next over done,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports after the game.
“He sensed an opportunity with those 2-3 early wickets but we have seen him do that regularly which means ‘definitely not’. That’s what Dhoni had said when Danny asked him (in 2020),” he added.
During CSK’s last league stage game in 2020, commentator Danny Morrison had asked Dhoni whether that match would be his last in yellow. To that question, Dhoni had replied: “definitely not.”
Before the start of IPL 2022
Dhoni had stepped down as CSK skipper and Jadeja was given the reins of the team. However, eight games into the season, captaincy was given back to Dhoni as Jadeja wanted to focus on his own game.
Before the game against SunRisers Hyderabad, Dhoni was once again asked about his future, to which he had replied: “Well I said last time also, you will definitely see me in the yellow jersey. Whether it is this yellow jersey or some other, you will have to wait and watch.”
CSK are currently at the ninth spot in the IPL points table with 8 points from 12 games.
