Not an awful lot of games remain for the world-famous IPL powerhouse known as the Chennai Super Kings or the CSK as they are called for short. So far in the ongoing season of the IPL, they have played twelve contests, from which they have lost- it’s hard to believe- eight games.
It’s a rather ignominious situation wherein the number of points the Chennai outfit has gone on to score is exactly the same as the number of games that they have lost.
With only four wins but from thrice the number of contests that they have played, it is not known as to what really happened to Chennai apart from saying that they played poorly. Rather, make that abysmally.
Yes, there have been a few positives here and there, for instance, the recent glowing form of new recruit Devon Conway and the spurts of brilliance as seen from the whirring blades of Robin Uthappa and Shivam Dube, but sad injuries to noted performers such as Deepak Chahar, who missed out the tournament in entirety as well as Jadeja’s injury that has ruled him out of these last games haven’t helped a bit.
In these times, the only real positive- and there aren’t many (or a great deal)- is the fact that MS Dhoni has returned to don the role of the famous IPL franchise. Not just that, the very fact that Dhoni’s bat isn’t quiet much like the rest of his teammates is further confirmation of the fact that he still has a lot more to offer to his team, and in turn, his legion of fans at an age where most people would simply think that ‘the old man is done and dusted.’
Take for instance, his wonderful hand in playing that key role in the run-chase against the Mumbai Indians in the first contest of the 2022 IPL when the two teams met. Truthfully speaking, the way Dhoni finished the final over run-chase hitting that glorious boundary on the on-side off Unadkat was the stuff that IPL dreams are made of. That was not before the towering sixes he had broken into!
Take also as evidence, the fact that he top scored for a really struggling line up last evening, i.e., May 12, 2022 when much of the team simply surrendered without offering much (or significant) fight.
To put things into some perspective, for a country that takes its sporting idols a touch too seriously and where cricketers aren’t merely cricketers, but demigods, Dhoni is an icon. He’ll always be.
And now, the fact that we are all aware about just how vulnerable an outfit CSK have become, to see the marvellously composed Dhoni leading a new generation of talents- think Dube, Conway, Chaudhary, Simarjeet- is perhaps just what the doctor ordered.
From being someone who quietly- and contently- offered the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja only to re-accept the leadership position, Dhoni is back to where he belongs and perhaps, here to stay.
But just what facts do we have amid us that suggest that MS Dhoni will actually play the next IPL edition as well? Well, look no further than his comments over the media in the post-match scenario after losing out to MI on May 12.
You can judge for yourselves:
“I have always planned my cricket. My last ODI that I played in India was in Ranchi. Hopefully my last T20 will be in Chennai. Whether it’s next year or in five years’ time, I don’t know,” exclaimed everyone’s favourite Indian cricketer, MS Dhoni.