The IPL 2024 has now moved to the playoff stage with Kolkata Knight Riders, SunRisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru competing for the top prize. However, most IPL fans are wondering: Is this the end for MS Dhoni? The legendary Chennai Super Kings player was heartbroken after his team lost a close match against RCB on Saturday, which knocked them out of the tournament.
After winning the IPL in 2023, Dhoni had mentioned that retiring would have been the easier choice, but due to the immense support from fans, he decided to continue for at least one more season. That season ended on Saturday for CSK, but Dhoni has not yet announced his future plans in the IPL.
According to a report in the Times of India, Dhoni will wait for a couple of months before making a decision. “Dhoni has not informed anyone in CSK that he is retiring. He told the management he will wait a few months before deciding,” a source close to the situation said. The report also mentioned that Dhoni was deeply saddened by the loss and was one of the first to leave the CSK camp for his hometown Ranchi on Sunday morning. He was later seen riding his bike in Ranchi.
In the RCB vs CSK IPL 2024 match, RCB, led by Faf du Plessis, needed a win in their final league game to secure a Top 4 spot and won the match by 27 runs. However, the celebrations of the RCB players were criticized because Dhoni walked off the pitch without shaking hands after waiting for the RCB players. Videos on social media showed Dhoni waiting for the RCB players, who were still celebrating, before heading to the dressing room without shaking hands. Virat Kohli later followed him to talk to him.
During a discussion on Cricbuzz, former England captain Michael Vaughan criticized the RCB players for not taking the time to shake hands with Dhoni. “The RCB team enjoys a lot of support but also annoys people. We saw a lot of that tonight. I understand they haven’t won the IPL before and were excited to make it to the playoffs, but you don’t want to be a team everyone dislikes,” Vaughan said.
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