‘Main trophy jeetke..’- Suresh Raina reveals MS Dhoni’s take on IPL retirement

Which season will be Dhoni’s last has long been a subject of debate among cricket fans, pundits, and seasoned players. The issue came up when the wicketkeeper-batter confirmed his retirement in international cricket two years ago, and it was brought up once more at the start of the current season. When questioned, Dhoni made fun of the possibility, but the CSK organisation has stayed mum on the subject. 

After playing alongside Dhoni for CSK as well as Team India, Suresh Raina, the IPL commentator on JioCinema, disclosed the captain’s exact comments during their final encounter in IPL 2023 on Monday. He revealed that “Main trophy jeetke ek saal aur khelunga (After winning the trophy, I will play one more year).” The CSK captain’s statements to Raina reveal both his IPL strategy and how sure he still is in winning the team’s fifth championship.

What did Mahendra Singh Dhoni say during the toss in Lucknow in IPL 2023?

When CSK played LSG in Lucknow earlier last week, the presenter, as well as former player Danny Morrison, confronted Dhoni with a direct question. “This wonderful swansong tour, your last, how are you enjoying it?”. With a brimming smile, the former World Cup-winning skipper replied by saying: “Well, you have decided it’s my last.” Morrison, who was left stunned for a moment, continued pointing back at the crowd in Lucknow by saying, “You hear that, he is going to come back again next year.”

IPL 2023 has introduced a specific trend. On the first day, it was seen in Ahmedabad, then in Wankhede, then at Eden Gardens and the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Even though their respective clubs receive the majority of the public’s backing on most of their home match days, the stadiums convert into an array of yellow when playing Chennai Super Kings. On certain days when there are matches, CSK shirts are sold in large quantities outside of these venues, and the crowd exclusively chants the surname of one player.