Is this year going to be MS Dhoni's last as a player in the Indian Premier League (IPL)? The question has kept every single fan guessing. Even when present Danny Morrison asked the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper about his 'swansong season', Dhoni refused to give a clear answer on his plans. However, Dhoni's former India and CSK teammate Suresh Raina has revealed what the 'Thala' told him on the subject of retirement, and it's just the piece of news that fans wanted to hear.
Speaking on JioCinema, as quoted by Indian Express, Raina revealed what the veteran wicket-keeper batter told him in their recent meeting during the ongoing IPL season. "Main trophy jeetke ek saal aur khelunga (After winning the trophy, I will play for one more year)."
While CSK are on the cusp of qualifying for the playoffs of the 16th edition of the T20 league, the fact that the franchise will win the title or not is only going to become clear in the weeks to come.
Earlier, Dhoni had kept the cricket world guessing when Morrison asked him about his future in a cheeky manner.
"This wonderful swansong tour, your last, how are you enjoying it?" Morrison asked, to which Dhoni swiftly responded, "Well, you have decided it's my last." "You hear that, he is going to come back again next year," Morrison then said, gesturing towards the crowd in Lucknow.
Dhoni himself had also admitted that it's the 'last phase' of his career, though he didn't confirm if it's the last IPL season for him as a player.
"All said and done, it's the last phase of my career, however long I play," he said when asked in the post-match interaction how he tends to deal with all the roar and crowd support at Chepauk. “After two years, the fans have had the opportunity to come here and watch, feels good to be here. The crowd has given us a lot of love and affection. Not getting enough chances to bat, but no complaints.”
With CSK emerging as one of the strongest teams in this campaign, and Dhoni also producing some fine cameos, it wouldn't be a surprise if the 41-year-old goes on to play one more season.