Mumbai, April 5 The fans kept waiting for the thunderous sixes, helicopter shots, and mesmerising hits to the boundary from Mahendra Singh Dhoni. But they did not come on Saturday, as Chennai Super Kings lost another match in their den.
The wait continued, MS Dhoni's bat failed to talk on this day and the legend trudged back to the dug-out as the social media erupted in disbelief, watching the man fade into the twilight.
For years acknowledged as one of the best finishers in white-ball cricket, Dhoni failed to guide Chennai Super Kings to victory against Delhi Capitals in Match 17 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.
Dhoni ended with an unbeaten 30 off 26 balls as CSK lost by 25 runs, ending with 158/5 from 20 overs with Vijay Sharkar not out on 69.
With CSK chasing 184, Dhoni came in to bat at 74/5 in the 11th over after Ravindra Jadeja got out, trapped lbw by fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav. With nearly nine overs in hand and 110 more runs needed, for the die-hard CSK fans, the stage was set for "Thala" to step in and guide the team home, sealing a memorable win with a last-ball six, just like in the 2011 World Cup final at the Wabkhede.
But on Saturday, the 43-year-old Dhoni failed to create the old magic and looked like a shadow of himself as he struggled to get the ball away as CSK slumped to a 25-run defeat, their first to the Delhi team at Chepauk in 15 years.
Dhoni shared an 84-run partnership with Vijay Shankar, which is CSK's highest for the 6th wicket in IPL, breaking the record of 73 between Hussey and S Badrinath, but in the end, it proved insufficient.
Dhoni could not provide the innings the thrust it needed towards the end was virtually tied down by Mukesh Kumar and Mitchell Starc as CSK needed 67 runs in the last three overs. The required rate continued to climb and Dhoni did manage to hit a four and a six, but that was too little to help CSK.
The thing that will hurt Dhoni and his fans the most is that his debacle came with his family including his parents, wife, and daughter in the stands. There were reports that before the match, MSD had sought his father Pan Singh Dhoni's blessings. Social media was rife with proclamations that Dhoni was set to announce his retirement from IPL cricket, just as abruptly as he quit Test cricket and ODI.
Dhoni played many dot balls in his knock, which caused a buzz on social media with many people seeking his retirement and others feeling sad seeing a legend struggling to guide the team to victory.
"MS Dhoni's reputation is built on years of leadership, consistency, and unmatched calmness, but sometimes even legends face moments where people question their choices," said a fan on X, formerly Twitter.
"As a diehard Dhoni fan, I'm requesting @ChennaiIPL to drop MS Dhoni for the next few matches. Give his spot to youngsters like Shaik Rasheed or Vansh Bedi. We already have Conway for wicketkeeping. So, Dhoni not necessary in playing 11," wrote another fan.
Some fans also made memes on Dhoni playing a dot ball on a free hit while some others suggested that this was a good time for him to retire.
Since the start of IPL 2025, there has been a lot of curiosity about how Dhoni, who will be turning 44 in a couple of weeks, will handle things. He was praised for his brilliant stumpings -- especially for dismissing Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians. But his batting came under fire when he came to bat at No.9 in one match and failed to score many runs in the other.
Saturday's struggle to properly execute the finisher's role, for which he is renowned, takes further fuel to the fire.
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