Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not a name, it is an emotion. With Chennai Super Kings clinching their fourth Indian Premier League title this year, there were speculations around whether this will be the last time Dhoni will be seen in Yellow, however, all these speculations came to an end with CSK revealing their retention picks and it contained the name of Thala.
With the set of players being retained for a cycle of 3 years, this essentially means the former India World Cup-winning captain can be seen in the India Premier League till at least 2024. While MSD's struggles with the bat are for there for everyone to see, he has maintained prime fitness and is a master wicketkeeper along with being one of the sharpest cricketing brains in the history of the game.
Along with Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been retained. Moreover, Dhoni was named as the second retention which, it is being reported, is a suggestion of the man himself.
MS Dhoni advised Ruturaj Gaikwad to stay away from social media
Earlier Ruturaj Gaikwad's childhood coach Sandeep Chawan revealed how Dhoni had a big role to play in Gaikwad's success with the Men in Yellow. Gaikwad won the Orange Cap for in IPL 2021 Chawan disclosed how Dhoni had told him to stay away from social media and just focus on his game.
"Dhoni always tells Ruturaj to stay away from social media. Apart from batting tips, how to handle pressure, and accelerating the run rate, Dhoni's advice of staying away from social media to Ruturaj has worked well for him. Dhoni also tells Ruturaj that success and failure are both part of the process, so, always back your game, no matter what people say," Ruturaj's coach Sandeep Chavan told Times of India in an exclusive interview.
Although Dhoni can remain with the team till 2024, commentator Harsha Bhogle in a Cricbuzz video had mentioned that Dhoni could be with the team for just one more year, build a side for them that knows how to win after the mega auction and then leave. Only time will tell if that happens or not but for now his entry in IPL 2022 is guaranteed.