MS Dhoni hints at IPL retirement after 2021 season, says uncertainty due to retention policy

October 8, 2021

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has hinted at retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the ongoing season. Speaking at the toss of CSK’s final league encounter against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Dhoni claimed that he is not sure whether he will continue as a player in the 2022 season. However, the ex-Indian captain did confirm that he will remain part of the CSK set-up but is not sure in what capacity at the moment.
“You’ll see me in yellow next season but whether I’ll be playing for CSK you never know. There are a lot of uncertainties coming up, two new teams are coming, we don’t know what the retention rules are and so on,” Dhoni was quoted saying.
Recently in interaction with fans, Dhoni had claimed that they will get the opportunity to bid him farewell at the Cheapak Stadium.
“When it comes to farewell, you can always come and see me play for CSK and that can be my farewell game. You will still get an opportunity to bid me farewell so hopefully, you will come to Chennai, I will play my last game there and I can meet all the fans,” said Dhoni.
IPL 2022 is set to see the introduction of two new franchises which would be announced later this month. This will see all teams seeing a major overhaul with a mega-auction set to take place ahead of the new season. There is still no official confirmation on how many players, teams will be allowed to retain or use the ‘right to match’ card in the auction.

Dhoni has led CSK in every single season since the league’s inception in 2008. Under his captaincy, CSK have won the IPL trophy three times and finished runners-up on six occasions.
The three-time champion are guaranteed a place in the playoffs for the 2021 season and Dhoni could end his playing career with the Yellow Army with another title next week.