This is not an article I ever wanted to write.
Every sports fan hopes their heroes will keep going forever. But at some point, we all have to let go.
With MS Dhoni, that time has come—for the fans, for CSK’s team management, and sadly, for Dhoni himself.
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From No. 3 in 2005 to No. 9 in 2025
Age should never be a barrier in selection.
Pravin Tambe debuted at 41 and played till he was nearly 48. Brad Hogg lasted till 46. And Faf du Plessis? Still the fittest cricketer around at 40.
So why are we questioning MS Dhoni all of a sudden?
This season, his batting has come under scrutiny more than once. Against RCB chasing 197 , Dhoni walked in at No. 9 with the score at 99/7 in the 16th over. The game was already gone.
For a player whose legend began with that 148 at No.3 against Pakistan in 2005, it felt strange, almost uncomfortable, to see him bat so low.
CSK coach Stephen Fleming admitted that
“…his knees aren’t what they used to be. And he’s moving okay, but there’s still an attrition aspect to it. He can’t bat ten overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us.”
He is still lightning fast behind the stumps. He can still clear the ropes. But if he’s not fully fit, what message does that send for a league striving to be the most professional in the world?
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And yet, the very next game made the discomfort even harder to ignore. We witnessed the bore of a game against the Delhi Capitals.
Dhoni remained unbeaten in an 84-run stand, but CSK never looked like they were even trying. He walked in at 74/5 with nine overs to go, chasing 184.
Enough time for a counterattack. But there was no intent. No pressure put on Delhi. Just a quiet 30* off 26.
Yes, the openers and middle order are out of form. But this version of Dhoni looked like a shadow of the old finisher, mistiming lower full-tosses and missing free hits.
Maybe it was a slow pitch. Maybe the lack of game time. Or maybe—just maybe—it’s time.
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Also Read: MS Dhoni and SK Raina Retire: An End of An Era
The Business Argument
There is one more aspect we have not touched yet: The business perspective.
CSK is a franchise that understand brand value, and Dhoni is the brand. He fills the stadiums, drives social buzz, and brings new fans to the game.
But does it still make cricketing sense?
A few years ago, India only had a handful of finishers—Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, and MS Dhoni. Retaining him made sense.
But things have changed. The IPL is now full of power hitting finishers: Shashank Singh, Ashutosh & Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Rovman Powell, and plenty more. The supply of wicketkeepers is even higher. Gaikwad has already taken over the captaincy.
The league has moved forward. The question is—has CSK?
What does CSK want more? A winning team built on the next generation of heroes or to hold on Dhoni’s legacy so tightly that the glow of Dhoni’s greatness slowly dims?
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There is a Never a Good Time to Let Go
In The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent said,
“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Okay, that’s a bit too much. Dhoni will never be a villain. Not after everything he has done for Indian cricket. But the longer this drags, the more it risks leaving a sour taste on an otherwise glorious career.
The greatest finishers don’t just know how to close games. They know when to walk away.
The IPL 2023 win may have been the perfect send-off. But the past is the past. Dhoni still has a chance to finish this in his own way.
Don’t be surprised if he retires mid-season, like his sudden Test retirement in the middle of the 2014 Border-Gavaskar trophy. Or if he vanishes with a cryptic Insta story. That’s Dhoni.
He has always done things this way. This time, it will be no different.
But when it’s over, we will all come together. And we’ll cry.
Because legends do not fade quietly.
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Bonus: What do the Fans Say?
In a poll I did on X, 69.7% of the people were of the opinion that MS Dhoni should retire.
Vote 👇
— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) April 6, 2025
Here is a fan’s interview after the Delhi Capitals match. Even the greatest of fans are not happy.
And here are his past IPL interviews.
#dhoni
— Devi❤️ (@messywoman23) May 19, 2024
MS Dhoni it's a request just say one more time " Definitely Not " pic.twitter.com/Na2FCQW3mz
Thala once casually said 'DEFINITELY NOT' and now that phrase is being used in Pan-India movie.
— ` (@WorshipDhoni) August 17, 2024
Influence that can't be matched by any other Indian celeb. pic.twitter.com/0VBtjCAvNa
I’ll end with this. Time to Say Goodbye.
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© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, LLC 2023. Originally published on 04/06/2025. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).
I think you are right. As you point about the RCB match he was held back so long that the contest was over before he came in to bat. He is still a fine wicket keeper, but in short form cricket, and especially in T20, the wicket keeper needs to be able to occupy a prime batting position and it seems fairly clear that Dhoni can no longer do so.
Hi Thomas, thanks for the comment!
With the substitute rule, if he plays as a specialist keeper, he can play for a couple more seasons with the occasional cameo, but with the season CSK had, they need to change things big time.