Chennai: As soon as Pan Singh Dhoni and Devaki Devi were spotted at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk here on Saturday afternoon for Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) IPL clash against Delhi Capitals, internet went on overdrive.
Many took to social media and wondered if this would be Dhoni’s last game as a CSK player, while many others were certain that the 43-year-old would announce his retirement after Saturday’s match. Why else would his parents be watching Dhoni live at the ground, perhaps for the first time in 18 years, they argued.
CSK went on to lose by 25 runs in front of their ardent fans, their third defeat in four games in IPL 2025. And despite getting a chance to make a difference, as CSK chased 184 for victory, Dhoni failed to turn back the clock.
Dhoni managed a slow unbeaten 30 off 26, with just one four and one six, as the yellow brigade fell well short.
And there was no retirement news after the match. At least not from CSK coach Stephen Fleming.
Asked about Dhoni’s possible retirement at the post-match press conference, Fleming said: “He (Dhoni) is still going strong, and I don’t even ask him about his future these days.”
Dhoni, 43 years and 272 days old, is revered as a living God in Chennai. He has played in 268 IPL matches for CSK, with whom his association started with the first season of the T20 league in 2008. During the two seasons that CSK was banned from IPL in 2016 and 2017, Dhoni played for Rising Pune Supergiant.
