MS Dhoni will turn 44 this July. If the inventor of the helicopter shot is to be believed, he’s still not done yet. At 43+, he is captaining Chennai Super Kings. Media reports hint at Dhoni’s possible return next season.
One important question that continues to gnaw at the edges of my mind is: shouldn’t this cricketing legend, who entertained fans for over a decade across all formats of the game, hang up his boots and quietly walk into the sunset? In this edition of the IPL, Dhoni, one of my favourite cricketers of all time, looks a pale shadow of his former self.
Like a once-mighty oak, Dhoni now stands weathered and worn by the passage of time. He hasn’t scored even a single fifty in this year’s IPL; he appears scratchy and tentative in his approach and he no longer dives regularly to his right or left to stop the ball from racing to the boundary.
In his twilight years, batting, once his superpower, has begun to resemble kryptonite. In his heyday, Dhoni's shots were like bespoke suits—impeccably tailored to charm the spectators, leaving hapless bowlers scurrying to hide their faces. His shots, now lacking power, rarely clear the boundary and often end up in the hands of a fielder.
If I may, my sincere advice to Dhoni is to consider retiring from the IPL now. His team is already out of the tournament, with hardly any memorable win to its credit. Yet, his fan following hasn’t diminished in the slightest over the years. Every time he walks out to bat, the crowd erupts in delirious joy, chanting his name: “Dhoni, Dhoni”.
Such effervescence and the outpouring of admiration can fill any cricketer, beyond his prime, with pride and a sense of importance, and Dhoni may be no exception. That said, his recurring difficulties in this tournament make me wonder if it is time for him to draw the curtains. Dhoni no longer needs to prove anything to his legions of fans. His contribution to Indian cricket remains unparalleled.
The Captain Cool of 2025 is no longer the unflappable tactician of old. He drifts in a sea of uncertainty, his instincts dulled, and his leadership faltering. What was once a winning hand now feels like a busted flush. It is hard to say whether his teammates still feel comfortable and energised under his leadership.
But the man once known for springing surprises and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat now seems to have lost the plot. To see him struggling for a win, with his own contribution barely noticeable, it seems Dhoni has perhaps forgotten the art of winning.
A gentle cricketer, always known for his steady temperament and reluctance to engage in petty on-field squabbles, it is disheartening to see one of my all-time favourites unable to get it right.
Ask any Dhoni fan about his decision to linger on even into his mid-forties, and they would unequivocally say that a great player never truly retires. Despite Dhoni’s declining output at the crease and diminishing influence on his team’s fortunes, the crowds remain thrilled that their cricket idol continues to be at the centre of the action—playing alongside teammates, most of whom are two decades his junior.
In a match against the Rajasthan Royals on May 20, the fourteen-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi touched Dhoni’s feet at the end of the match. Imagine the pride and respect a youngster like Suryavanshi must feel, playing alongside a legend like Dhoni—nothing short of a father figure to many. Perhaps it is moments like these that stand out as the true takeaways from Dhoni’s IPL journey.
I still find it hard to fathom why Dhoni hasn’t retired. Even if he has been requested to play for Chennai Super Kings next season, doesn’t his own judgement count? Has the team management discussed this with him? Are past glories outweighing present performance? If I recall correctly, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar played just two or three IPL editions before stepping away, aware of the physical demands of a format that tests stamina to the hilt.
Even if Dhoni plays in the 2026 IPL edition, I doubt the 44-year-old will bring anything truly exciting or fresh to the table. His agility and physical stamina are unlikely to see a sudden surge. At some point, even legends must stop raging against the dying of the light. For Dhoni, that moment might be near. Yet, he continues to captivate us with his elegant presence and natural charm, not just on the field but also in his numerous television endorsements.
The writer is an independent journalist.
