'Definitely not', MS Dhoni rules out retirement from IPL
What's the story
In what comes as a terrific news for the CSK fans, Thala Mahendra Singh Dhoni will play in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League. The former Indian captain has ruled out retirement from the league after the ongoing season. Speaking on the toss for the CSK-KXIP game, Dhoni confirmed that he will turn up for CSK in the 2021 IPL as well.
Information
Here is what Dhoni said
In their final league stage match this season, CSK elected to bowl. During the toss, commentator Danny Morrison asked whether this will be his last ever game for the Yellow Army. To this, Dhoni replied, "Definitely not!"
Twitter Post
Here is the whole conversation
Danny Morrison : Could this be your last game in yellow ? #MSDhoni : Definitely Not!#CSK have won the toss and they will bowl first against #KXIP in Match 53 of #Dream11IPL pic.twitter.com/KhaDJFcApe
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 1, 2020
CSK
CSK had been eliminated from the playoffs race
So far, Chennai Super Kings are the only franchise who have been eliminated from the playoffs race. They presently occupy the eighth spot and will finish the league stage with the game against Kings XI Punjab. During the tournament, skipper Dhoni drew a lot of criticism for his peculiar decisions on the field. Even his own batting form plunged severely.
Data
Dhoni's lean patch in IPL 2020
Despite being a veteran in the IPL, Dhoni was unable to fire with the bat. In 13 games, he managed to score 200 runs at 25.00. He couldn't score a single 50+ score in these games. Besides, he will hope for a turnaround in 2021.
Campaign
A torrid run throughout the tournament
The CSK continent has been dealing with adversities this season. Their campaign was marred by several injuries and absence of marquee players Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh. Even before the tournament, a few members of their contingent, including Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaikwad tested positive for COVID-19. However, they recently bounced back with two consecutive wins against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Future
What lies ahead for CSK?
Now that Dhoni has cleared the picture, the CSK management will aim at the impending auction. As Dhoni pointed following the loss to Mumbai Indians, CSK have already begun the preparation for the next season. "There are ifs and buts in the auction, where the venues will be, and you want to give the boys a chance to perform," he had said.