MS Dhoni retirement: Chennai Super Kings skipper to bid adieu to IPL after 2023, says report

New Delhi, Nov 15: As the IPL 2023 transfer window comes to a close on Tuesday (November 15), Chennai Super Kings fans are busy speculating about the future of their favourite franchise and its legendary captain MS Dhoni.

Dhoni - who quit as CSK captain ahead of the IPL 2022 season - had to take over the team's reigns midway through the tournament after the franchise failed to live up to the expectations under the captaincy of Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja - who was appointed the first regular skipper of the four-time IPL champions after Dhoni - couldn't inspire his team as CSK failed to defend the title.

Eventually, Dhoni had to take up the responsibility of leading the side once again but he failed to get the team to the playoffs stage as it was already too late. CSK finished at the bottom half of the points table.

At the end of the IPL 2022, many thought that it was Dhoni's last IPL but the legendary India cricketer confirmed that he'll definitely be leading the Yellow Brigade in the next season.

Reports now have it that the four-time IPL trophy-winning CSK skipper will retire from the lucrative tournament next year and hang up his boots. Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020 but continued to participate in the domestic T20 league.

As per a report published in The Telegraph, Dhoni is likely to retire from IPL and the two-time World Cup-winning India skipper will be given some role by the BCCI in the days to come.

The 41-year-old right-handed batter had already expressed his desire to play his last IPL match in front of the passionate CSK fans at MA Chidambaram Stadium which is their home ground in Chennai. The next year's IPL will be held across ten venues i.e. every franchise will play at their home ground and the format of home-and-away will be making its return in the sixteenth edition of the premier T20 league.

As per the report, BCCI is also planning to give the wicketkeeper-batter some key responsibilities which will share the load of India Head Coach Rahul Dravid.

The news daily claimed that the load to manage (Indian Cricket Team in) three formats is proving to be too demanding for him. It is this reason why the board is deliberating splitting the coaching roles. "The board is interested in involving Dhoni in the T20 format and using his skills to uplift the standard of the Indian Cricket Team," the report added further.

Dhoni was appointed the 'mentor' of India's T20I side for the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. However, that move didn't yield many rewards as the Men in Blue bowed out of the tournament from the Super 12 stage itself.

In the just-concluded T20 World Cup 2022, which was held in Australia, Team India had a much-better show as compared to the previous edition. Despite being billed as title favourites, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side failed to live up to the expectations and were knocked out of the tournament following a heavy 10-wicket thrashing at the hands of eventual winners, England in the semi-finals.

Ever since India's exit from the marquee tournament, experts and fans have been suggesting that the BCCI should involve Dhoni with the T20I side in some capacity for the former captain has been the most successful T20 skipper for India.