'If he had hit the winning runs, it would have been cherry on top' - Sunil Gavaskar on MS Dhoni’s duck in IPL 2023 final

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni had a perfect ending to IPL 2023 as he led CSK to their fifth title and got level with Mumbai Indians in terms of the most IPL trophies won by a side. Ahead of the season, there were widespread talks of this being the last of Dhoni who had earlier expressed his wish of playing his last game in front of CSK’s home crowd at M.A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The Captain Cool even walked out to bat in the 13^th over of CSK’s chase with the team requiring 22 needed off 14 balls. However, much to everyone’s dismay, the CSK skipper got caught at short cover against Mohit Sharma for a golden duck. Commenting on his dismissal after the game, legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said that it would’ve been a cherry on top had he scored the winning runs for his team.

“If he had been there to hit the winning runs, it would have been like a cherry on top. But at the end of the day, being the team-man that he is, he would be very happy. He might have got out first ball, but his team went on to win the title and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. Whether you score hundreds, take five wickets if your team loses, there is no fun. But if you score zero or might be smashed for 40-50 runs, if your team wins, that is huge,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by Sports Tak.

Further talking about Dhoni’s retirement, Gavaskar said that such a big decision should be taken after some time following the end of the tournament and fans can expect a decision sooner or later.

We can certainly expect a decision sooner rather than later: Sunil Gavaskar

“A tournament like this can take a heavy toll on your physical and mental energy. It’s only fair for any big decision to be taken that you give yourself a bit of time after the tournament is over. My belief is that he will give himself a bit of time, sit down with his near and dear ones, and have a chat about what could be done. So, we can certainly expect a decision sooner rather than later,” Gavaskar added.

After the end of the game, Dhoni was asked about his retirement from Harsha Bhogle at the post-match presentation. The 41-year-old gave a perfect reply to the question and said that he would love to come back again in the next season and play for his fans who have showered their love on him all around the country wherever he travelled to play, but only if his body allows him to.