'He looked frustrated, it's unlike him. Don't think this is his last game' - Ambati Rayudu feels MS Dhoni will return for IPL 2025

Former cricketers Matthew Hayden and Ambati Rayudu have opened up on the future of MS Dhoni. Hayden feels that the Indian Premier League has seen the last of one of its biggest icons, however, Rayudu, a former CSK player, feels the end is yet to come.

Dhoni, 42, turned up to IPL 2024 in what was his second year with a troubled knee. His role with the bat was limited to playing impactful cameos towards the end of the innings, however, he kept wickets in all of CSK’s 14 games. 

Dhoni battled his dodgy knee in 2023 as well, when he was seen with heavy strapping around that area after the matches and there was visible discomfort in his movement and running on occasions. CSK entered the 2024 edition of the tournament as the defending champions, with Dhoni returning after undergoing a knee surgery in what he said would be a gift for his fans who showered him with love and support. He passed the captaincy baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad with an eye on future and freed himself from the burden of captaincy.

Also read: Is this MS Dhoni's last match? Will Dhoni announce his retirement after RCB's win over CSK in IPL 2024, Match 68?

The year 2024 was no different for CSK and Dhoni, with both enjoying unmatchable support irrespective of the venue of the fixtures. However, that journey came to an anticlimactic end after CSK’s 27-run loss in a do-or-die situation against RCB in their final league fixture at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on May 18 as they crashed out of the tournament.

“I think this is it. I do believe that this will be the last time that MS Dhoni will play. Certainly won't be the last time that we see MS Dhoni. I'd be very surprised if he doesn't mentor or be a part of the family of CSK in an official capacity,” Hayden told Star Sports.

However, Rayudu disagreed with Hayden, reckoning that Dhoni could return for another season as a league-stage exit is by no means a deserving end to such a stellar story. 

“I don't think this is his last game. I just don't see him wanting to end on this note. He looked a little frustrated, even when he got out. That’s very unlike MS Dhoni, he just wanted to qualify and finish on a high. But you never know with MS Dhoni, he might come back next year. And with the impact player role as well, it gives him the opportunity to be able to come in those last few overs and truly make that impact. BCCI better not remove the impact player role because we still want to see MS Dhoni play.  So, it's up to BCCI now. Do we want to see MS Dhoni play or not” 

Also read: IPL 2024: Dejected MS Dhoni leaves field without shaking hands with RCB players after CSK's loss

Hayden added: “Yeah, I suppose the thing is when you come to the end of your career, whether it is the last part of his career or not, what you don't want to see is diminishing returns as an athlete. Firstly, as a leader, he is The Thala of the Chennai Super Kings. This is telling me that nothing here is about becoming anything else other than first place. He's desperately using his brains, all of that cricket knowledge. And of course, the power is there and that's always been MS Dhoni. He's always hit balls at this stage of an innings. At the front, you can understand how players can hit it.  But at the back, it's really hard to hit balls.”