MS Dhoni breaks silence on CSK future for the first time since IPL 2025, receives applause: 'It's not about one year...'
'Me and CSK, we are together. You know even for the next 15-20 years (crowd cheers). I hope they don't think I'll be playing for another 15-20 years! But yeah,' Dhoni said with a smile, suggesting his involvement with CSK will continue in some form long after he hangs up his boots.
There were speculations that the 44-year-old would step aside after IPL 2024, but Dhoni made an excellent recovery from his knee issue and even took charge of captaincy midway through IPL 2025 after Ruturaj Gaikwad pulled out due to an elbow injury. Dhoni led CSK through a challenging campaign that saw the five-time champions finish bottom of the table, managing only four wins in 14 matches.
'It's not about one year or two years. I will always be sitting in a yellow jersey. You know whether I'll be playing or not in a while, but yeah, you know yourself,' he added, teasing fans who have long speculated about his final season.
Just last week, during a separate event, Dhoni had sidestepped a direct question on his playing future. However, he did not hold back on Saturday while reflecting on CSK's disappointing season and what lies ahead.
'Yes, the last couple of years have not been good for us. We have not been up to the mark. But what is important is for you to see the learnings. Yes, you had a bad season. But what went wrong? And that was the question for us last year also,' he said.
Gaikwad will be back
The former India captain had previously admitted that CSK's batting issues were a concern during the 2025 season but expressed confidence that the return of Ruturaj Gaikwad would help address the imbalance.
'Rutu will be coming back. He got injured. But he will be coming back. So, we are quite sorted now,' Dhoni said, also pointing to the upcoming December mini-auction as a window to plug remaining gaps.
In a heartfelt closing, Dhoni once again credited CSK and the city of Chennai for shaping his career: 'So, I feel the relationship over the years has grown. It helped me improve as a person. It helped me improve as a cricketer. CSK just happened. I think it's good for Chennai. So, today it's good for me also.'
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