Dhoni breaks silence on IPL retirement rumours

Former Indian captain MS Dhoni has addressed speculation about his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, making it clear that he has no plans to step away from the tournament.

"If I am in a wheelchair, I will still be part of the league," Dhoni stated firmly, shutting down all rumours about his IPL future.

The legendary cricketer is set to play his 18th IPL season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Having led the team to five IPL titles, Dhoni has now passed on the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Since retiring from international cricket in 2020, speculation about Dhoni's IPL future has been the subject of much discussion.

 However, he reassured fans, saying, "This is my franchise. Even if I am in a wheelchair, they will still pick me."

Dhoni also spoke about his long-standing relationship with Virat Kohli, which has evolved from a captain-young player dynamic to a close friendship.

"It was always an honest exchange of ideas, whether a certain approach was right or if an adjustment could have been made. Initially, it was more of a relationship between a captain and a young player, but over time, as we kept interacting, we became friends.

"Even today, we share that bond, though there's always a line of respect between a senior and a junior. Now that neither of us is captain, we get more time to talk before matches," he said.

Dhoni also praised IPL broadcasters for introducing regional language commentary, calling it an interesting addition to the tournament.

"Listening to commentary gives you an outsider's perspective. It sparks new ideas like 'Why don't we try this approach?'...which can then be evaluated based on intelligence and data to see if it fits within the team's strategy," he said.

"I haven't heard a lot of regional commentary, but I know that Bihari (Bhojpuri) commentary is highly energetic. It reminds me of old-school radio commentary, where the commentators were very involved. I find that very interesting," he added.

Meanwhile, Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar believes Dhoni can silence his critics even now. 

"Why do we want to pressure him by constantly asking about retirement? Every time people question him, he proves them wrong," Gavaskar remarked.

As CSK embarks on another IPL campaign, Dhoni remains an integral part of the team, not just as a player but as a guiding force in the dressing room.