Shaun Pollock, the former South A frican captain, raised quite a few eyebrows with his remarks on MS Dhoni’s future in the IPL. There was speculation about the Chennai Super Kings lynchpin calling it a day after this season, and the franchise seemed keen on giving him his due special farewell for having led them to five IPL titles. But with things now having tilted, CSK, with four matches remaining, has already been ruled out of the playoffs, primarily due to a lackluster batting lineup.
With Ruturaj Gaikwad injured, Dhoni took charge, but the turnaround couldn’t happen. After CSK’s eighth defeat this season against Punjab Kings, Pollock expressed his views on whether Dhoni will return for IPL 2026. “”I don’t think CSK needs him as captain next season. He’s stepping in because of Gaikwad’s injury. He’s done everything he could. It really depends on what he wants, given the legacy he’s built with this team,”” Pollock was quoted saying in a chat with CricBuzz. He added that the team has given Dhoni the freedom to decide when he wants to step back from the team. “”We have been speculating about it for some time. I don’t know if the owners will talk to him about it.”
Finally, Pollock mentioned that he would be shocked if Dhoni played in the next IPL. “We will have to wait and see, he added Former Aussie player Adam Gilchrist believes that Dhoni is the only and best person to decide his future, not team management or CSK CEO, Kasi Viswanath. “Dhoni is legendary. He created an impact with such a standard that no one has even reached in this league till now. It will take a long time for another player to have that kind of an impact on the legacy of IPL. What happens next, we’ll have to reflect on that, and knowing him, he might not keep us guessing for too long, said Gilchrist.
CSK’s next match is against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday, May 3rd.
