Has Mahendra Singh Dhoni played his last game of the Indian Premier League? The questions around the matter keep mounting even as Dhoni’s popularity remains as strong as ever. Former India batter Aakash Chopra however has the belief that MS Dhoni will not go on under the hammer in the mega auction before IPL 2025.
“MS Dhoni‘s simple story is that if he wants to stay, he will stay. However, he might think that the money will be wasted if he stays here for three years and there could be problems in retention as eight to 10 crores should be spent on him, but then those won’t be available when you go to the auction,” Aakash Chopra said in a YouTube video on his channel.
“I am not 100 percent certain whether Dhoni will be retained or not. It’s almost guaranteed he won’t go into the auction but will he be retained, will he play, we really don’t know right now,” he added.
MS Dhoni’s struggles in IPL 2024
Dhoni was nowhere near his best in the IPL 2024. Although the World Cup winning captain averaged over 53 in the tournament, the high average is just courtesy of his not outs. He scored 161 runs in 14 matches and remained not out 8 times. Dhoni also struggled with fitness issues, with a sore back keeping the 41-year-old busy.
MS Dhoni in IPL 2024
| Matches | Not outs | Runs | Average | Strike rate |
| 14 | 8 | 161 | 53.67 | 220.55 |
He was also criticised for batting lower down the order in times of CSK’s need. Most experts were of the opinion that this would be Dhoni’s last IPL, however the announcement did not arrive. It has led to speculation whether Dhoni still has it in him to have one last dance before hanging up his boots.
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