Ahmedabad: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team was about to play its last match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Gujarat Titans. Before this, discussion started about Mahendra Singh Dhoni's future. In a pre-match program, former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina, Sanjay Bangar, RP Singh and Akash Chopra debated whether Dhoni should now retire from cricket. RP and Raina opposed the idea, while Chopra and Bangar argued in its favor. The debate became quite heated and sharp arguments were given from both sides.
Dhoni was a bit hesitant to bat for CSK this year. He was sometimes coming to bat at number 8 as well. He gave players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja a chance to bat before him. Raina and RP said that this move was to give others a chance. At the same time, Chopra and Bangar questioned Dhoni's fitness whether he is fit to bat for so long.
Let's see how the conversation went...
Aakash Chopra said- If MS Dhoni was not an uncapped Indian, would he be a part of the CSK team this year?
Suresh Raina replied- Absolutely, he has been with the team for 18 years. Even now he hits the most sixes.
Aakash Chopra again said- The thing is why is he batting at number 7, number 8 or number 9. Your team is not batting well, the problems are coming from the top order. Shouldn't such a big player bat higher? Why so much hesitation? Is he even fit or not?
Suresh Raina explained- He feels he is more comfortable in the last four overs. He is wicketkeeping at the age of 44, he is fit. He gave an interview in between, in which he said that a team is being formed for the World Cup (T20), so he wants to give more chances to others like Shivam Dubey.
RP Singh said- He will take time after knee surgery. Every player feels it. He has been wicketkeeping for 20 years, takes care of himself. Raina also had knee surgery. He took care of himself for some time and eventually recovered.
Things get a little heated in the studio during #TheBigDebate! 🔥
What's your take on #CaptainCool's batting position this season? 💬
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Sanjay Bangar said- Ruturaj Gaikwad-Ravindra Jadeja are not able to become leaders because of Dhoni
Continuing in the conversation, Bangar also said that due to Dhoni's presence in the team, players like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja are not able to emerge as leaders. He believes that due to Dhoni's presence, these young players are not getting a chance to show their leadership ability. In this entire debate, questions were raised about Dhoni's batting order, his fitness and his impact on the team. Some people believe that Dhoni should step back to give a chance to the youth, while some say that his experience and ability are still important for the team.
It will be interesting to see what Dhoni's future holds by the end of IPL 2025. Will he retire or play another season? This question still remains. It is also worth noting that such discussions are natural about a legendary player like Dhoni. Everyone wants to know how long their favorite player will continue playing. But in the end, it is Dhoni who has to decide when he wants to retire. His fans should respect his decision.
