NEW DELHI: Legendary Indian cricketer and former World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni arrived at Chennai Airport before departing for Delhi as the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season draws closer. Dhoni will once again feature in the IPL 2025 season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), aiming for his sixth title. Under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK will kick off their campaign against five-time champions and arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) at their fortress, Chepauk.
While it remains uncertain whether this will be Dhoni’s final IPL season, speculation has been ongoing since his international retirement in 2020 about when he will bid farewell to the league.
With five IPL trophies as captain, Dhoni’s legacy in the tournament is unmatched, but fans continue to wonder when he will finally hang up his boots.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, Dhoni was retained by CSK as an uncapped player for Rs 4 crore. This was made possible due to a rule introduced before last year’s auction, allowing franchises to retain players in the uncapped category if they had not played international cricket for five years.
Since retiring from international cricket, Dhoni has exclusively played in the IPL, continuing to be an integral part of CSK. In the 2024 season, he played 11 innings, amassing 161 runs at a staggering strike rate of 220 and an average of 53.66. He remained unbeaten eight times, excelling as a finisher for the five-time champions.
Dhoni is the sixth-highest run-scorer in IPL history, with 5,243 runs in 264 matches and 229 innings at an average of 39.12 and a strike rate of 137.53, including 24 fifties. His highest IPL score remains *84 (not out)**. While Dhoni is synonymous with CSK, he also played for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) franchise during the 2016-17 seasons.
As another IPL season approaches, all eyes will be on MS Dhoni, not just for his performance on the field but also for any hints about his future in the tournament.
