Ever since MS Dhoni came out to bat at number 9, in a losing cause against RCB in IPL 2025, fans have reignited the call for his retirement. The 43-year-old, who has been retained by CSK, is now playing as an uncapped player for the first time in the history of the cash-rich league. While Dhoni may not offer the same value with the bat anymore, another legend, the “Universal Boss” Chris Gayle, has asked the fans to be mindful of what they are wishing for.
Gayle doesn’t want Dhoni to retire from IPL
Speaking to Insidesport in an exclusive interview, Gayle opined that Dhoni brought value to IPL that no one could match. He reckons that fans ought to be more conscious of what they were asking for, citing his ability to guide CSK to being 5-time champions in the IPL. Gayle, an RCB legend who hasn’t been a part of the IPL since 2022, opined that the wrong message is being sent to the IPL legend, simply because of the result of a couple of games.
“With Dhoni, he brings a lot of value to the IPL. You want to see him as long as possible and want him to stay. You don’t want to push him. When you start to hear that noise, people are going to send a wrong message to such a great player and a great person. You don’t want to send such a message to a guy like Dhoni because he brings so much value in IPL,” said Chris Gayle who has the highest score in IPL history.
— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) April 1, 2025
INSIDESPORT EXCLUSIVE
WATCH: RCB legend Chris Gayle defends MS Dhoni as he doesn’t want him to retire from the IPL@Dafanewsindia #CricketTwitter #msdhoni #CSK #RCB pic.twitter.com/SFL6OgotPr
CSK’s popularity = Dhoni
Gayle pointed out that Dhoni moving away from the IPL could potentially see a dip in not just CSK’s value, but also of the league. The ex-Caribbean cricketer attributed the growth in CSK’s popularity to Thala, noting that it was the value that he brought to the franchise.
“For someone who has won the championship so many times, if he goes from the IPL, it will take a little bit of drop. What he has done for his franchise it is fantastic. Wherever CSK plays in India, it is all about the Whistle Podu. That is the power and that is what he brings to the IPL,” Gayle added.
What does Dhoni bring to the table?
- 120 db greeting for Dhoni on his entry in Guwahati vs RR in IPL 2025
- 31.1 crore viewership for CSK’s IPL 2025 opener vs MI
- 6.3 crore concurrent viewers for MI vs CSK tie at the Wankhede stadium in 2024 (Dhoni hit 20 of 4)
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 23, 2025
: I am fast
: I am faster
MSD: Hold my gloves
Nostalgia alert as a young #MSDhoni flashes the bails off to send #SuryakumarYadav packing!
FACT: MSD affected the stumping in 0.12 secs!
Watch LIVE action: https://t.co/uN7zJIUsn1 #IPLonJioStar#CSKvMI, LIVE NOW on… pic.twitter.com/oRzRt3XUvC
Just a glimpse of MSD enough: Gayle
CSK fans worship Dhoni more than their own team, and this has been witnessed across venues. In fact, some former players have called out this hero worship as something that goes against the game. Yet, fans continue to flood the stadium in numbers just to catch a glimpse of Thala.
Gayle reckons that fans just care about getting a glimpse of Dhoni batting and it doesn’t matter when he comes out. He praised the 43-year-old for his lightning-fast skills behind the stumps.
“His wicketkeeping is still one of the best, he is still very sharp. It is about how he plays for the team and how they are going to use him. Everybody wants to see Dhoni. So, it doesn’t matter where he bats for me, even at number 11, as long as people get a glimpse of Dhoni, still to be a part of CSK and the IPL,” Gayle added.
| Match | Score | Balls Taken |
| vs MI | 0* | 2 |
| vs RCB | 30* | 16 |
| vs RR | 16 | 11 |
