Former India captain MS Dhoni had announced his international retirement on Independence Day back in 2020. Dhoni is yet to give any clarity on his future in the IPL.
Independence Day or August 15 in 2020 is remembered for one of the biggest announcements in Indian cricket. It was the date when former India captain Mahedra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket after almost a year in limbo – his last international appearance being the 2019 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup semifinal loss.
In a online line statement posted on social media at 7.29pm IST on August 15, 2020, Dhoni wrote, “Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout.from 1929 hrs consider me as Retired.”
Now with another Independence Day coming up on Thursday, fans are wondering on social media whether a similar announcement is in store from the former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain regarding his playing career in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhoni hasn’t quite made it clear whether he will be available to play as a wicketkeeper-batter in the upcoming IPL 2025 under the leadership of new skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Dhoni hasn’t retired from the IPL and it is believed that CSK are hoping that their former captain can come under the category of ‘uncapped’ player while they make their decision to announce their retention list ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction. Apart from this with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) going ahead with the ‘Impact Player’ rule for the next season as well, there is a possibility that Dhoni could play purely as a ‘batter’ in IPL 2025.
Team India off-spinner and Dhoni’s former teammate at CSK, Ravichandran Ashwin also joined in on the debate on his retirement. “Will Dhoni play as an uncapped player? That’s a big question mark. The point is correct. He hasn’t played international cricket for many years. He has retired. So, he is an uncapped player. He is not a capped player,” Ashwin said on his official YouTube channel.
“Can a player like Dhoni play as an uncapped player? That is another conversation. Obviously, if someone talks about Dhoni, everyone will talk about it,” he added.
Indian pacer Mohammad Shami also revealed an insight into Dhoni’s thoughts on when a cricket should retire. “I had this conversation with Mahi bhai, asking ‘When should a player retire?” He said, ‘First when you yourself get bored and second, Jab lage ki laat padne wali hai (when you realise that you would be kicked out of the team).’
“But the first and foremost thing is that when you stop enjoying the game, it’s a sign that your time has come. Better you choose the best moment to retire. Because your body starts intimating you if you can’t sustain a particular format. That’s when a player should call it time,” Shami said on an YouTube podcast.