MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma are at a crossroads. Or so it would seem with the constant scrutiny around two captains who have 10 IPL titles between them.
10 out of the 17 IPL seasons played before 2025 were won by these two. Let that soak in for a few seconds.
Winning cricket tournaments, especially ones as challenging as the IPL, means a lot of factors have to fall in place. Talent scouting, a good auction, player form, pitches, conditions, a good support staff but do not undermine the presence of sharp captains with astute cricketing brains.
MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have done it for years.
Legacy of leadership and triumph
Chennai has been Dhoni’s IPL home for nearly two decades. When the glittering T20 league kicked off in 2008, Dhoni was at his prime. He had won the T20 World Cup in 2007 and three years later, won the IPL for CSK and after leading India to ODI World Cup glory, Dhoni helped CSK defend their IPL title.
After CSK and (RR) returned from their two-year bans, Dhoni switched on beast mode with the bat as CSK won the IPL for the third time. Two more followed in 2021 and 2023 – the last of which was dramatic – Dhoni had stepped down as captain in 2022, only to have to step up again mid-tournament. Dhoni will once again return as the CSK captain as Ruturaj Gaikwad is ruled out of IPL 2025 with an elbow injury.
Naturally, this man deserves all the support of his franchise and why not. He has the backing of the CSK management to play as long as he wants.
Rohit Sharma took over in 2013 and began one of the greatest fairy tales in spots. MI would often stumble through phases but they always found a way to win – they ended up winning 5 championships under him. It was no fluke.
Of course, MI had a great team, great coaches and an atmosphere players want to thrive in but Rohit accomplished a lot as India captain too, winning back-to-back ICC titles despite constant criticism over form and fitness here and then – he found ways to perform at critical junctures.
Still indispensable in IPL 2025
CSK and MI are struggling this year and this is the second straight season when they are not being captained by Dhoni and Rohit.
Dhoni is not the finisher he was a few years ago but his abilities behind the stumps are almost unparalleled. He does not score a lot of runs anymore but he boasted of a strike-rate of 220.5 last season.
Rohit Sharma is now an Impact Player for MI and while the runs have been at a premium for him this summer, do remember what he did in 2024: 417 runs at a strike-rate of 150 are no mean numbers.
The Indian Premier League is the best league in the world. The world’s best cricketers are eager to impress, do well and show why they are as good as they are.
Every year, young Indian players rise to the occasion and remind the world why India is the power centre of world cricket. Priyansh Arya and Digvesh Rathi have been sensational in 2025. But the game also needs to hold on to Rohit and Dhoni for as long as possible.
We, the cricket fans, often indulge in nostalgia. The IPL has given us so many moments to cherish – let’s hold on to some of these memories for some more time.
Can you ever write Rohit Sharma off? Remember what he did to Australia in the 2024 T20 World Cup? Or to New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final? Or to every team in the 2023 ODI World Cup?
Can you ever write MS Dhoni off? Remember his stumpings, his sixes last year and a few this year and his game-changing abilities?
If the answer is yes, then you know why Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are undroppable. They are not done – not yet.
