MS Dhoni has no doubt that he would be seen in the yellow jersey of CSK even in 2022 but at this point, he does not know whether he would represent his franchise Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2022 as there are uncertainties about retention policy and addition of two new teams.
Speaking after the toss for CSK’s IPL game against Punjab Kings, the 40-year-old was asked about whether he would be staying with the franchise which is synonymous with him since the IPL’s inception.
MS Dhoni Doubts Whether He Will Play For CSK As There Are Uncertainties About Retention Policy And Addition Of Two New Teams In IPL 2022
MS Dhoni is a name that needs no introduction. After winning the maiden World T20 in 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cup after a hiatus of 28 years to leading Chennai Super Kings to three Indian Premier League titles, the list of MS Dhoni’s achievements in white-ball cricket matches doesn’t have an end. In the shortest format, the wicket-keeper batsman has 6917 runs to his name at an average of 38.21 and a strike rate of 134.18.
“Well, you can see me in yellow next year. But whether I will be playing for CSK? There are a lot of uncertainties around it for a simple reason that we have two new teams coming up,” he said referring to the IPL’s expansion into a 10-team competition from next season.
“We don’t know the retention policy. We don’t know how many foreigners, Indian players we can retain, the money cap that every player will be cutting from the kitty. So there are a lot of uncertainties. Unless the rules are in place, you can’t really decide that. So we will wait for it to happen and hopefully it will be good for everyone,” he added.
MS Dhoni scored exactly 200 runs in IPL 2020, averaging a below-par 25 while managing only 96 runs in IPL 2021 in 14 games averaging a dismal 13.71. His strike rate is also below 120 both times and below 100 this season.
MS Dhoni Might Bid Farewell In IPL 2022 In His Home Ground Chennai For CSK
The comment on the day is bound to create a flutter as earlier this week while interacting with fans during the 75th year celebrations of ‘India Cements’, MS Dhoni dropped elaborate hints that he will be seen playing the next season with his franchise CSK.
“When it comes to farewell, you can still come and see me play for CSK and that can be my farewell game. So, you will still get that opportunity to bid me farewell. Hopefully, we will come to see Chennai and play my last game over there and we can meet fans there,” Dhoni had said.
If team sources are to be believed then CSK is keen to retain three players — MS Dhoni, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and prolific opener Ruturaj Gaikwad. The iconic former India captain has not played in Chennai since 2019 as the 2020 IPL was held in the UAE. During the first leg of this year’s edition, CSK played its matches in Mumbai before the league was suspended due to a breach in the bio-bubble.
Captain KL Rahul set the stage on fire with the bat as Punjab Kings (PBKS) beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets in Match 53 of the IPL 2021 in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. The right-hander hammered an unbeaten 98 off 42 balls, hitting 7 fours and 8 sixes, as PBKS, who needed 135 runs to win, chased down the target in 13 overs. Earlier, CSK, who were put in to bat, remained unchanged, while PBKS brought in Chris Jordan in place of Nicholas Pooran.
Brief Scores: Punjab Kings 139/4 (KL Rahul 98*, Aiden Markram 13; Shardul Thakur 3/28) beat Chennai Super Kings 134/6 (Faf du Plessis 76, Ravindra Jadeja 15; Chris Jordan 2/20, Arshdeep Singh 2/35) by 6 wickets.