Mahendra Singh, the captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has used words such as “farewell” or “last phase” that have made fans wonder if this will be his final appearance in Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhoni may not have said it outright, but CSK coach Stephen Fleming has spoken about Dhoni’s final IPL season.
Fleming answered the question of whether the CSK captain had conveyed a message to his team’s management regarding the end of the IPL after Chennai’s loss against Punjab on Sunday. CSK’s coach confirmed that Dhoni had not yet conveyed a message to the team management. Fleming was blunt in his response when asked about Dhoni’s last IPL. “No, he’s not said anything,” was Fleming’s answer.
Fans are treating IPL2023 as Dhoni’s final IPL, even though Dhoni hasn’t said anything. The CSK coach has also denied any such claims. Dhoni supporters are showing up in huge numbers, just like they did in previous editions to support Thala. Dhoni supporters with yellow tee-shirts and flags outnumber any opposition crowd in Eden Gardens, Wankhede or Chinnaswamy.
Dhoni was also overwhelmed by the seas of fans at CSK’s away match against KKR. “I’ll just say thank you for the support. They came in large numbers. Next time, most of these guys are going to wear a KKR shirt. “They are trying to bid me farewell. Thanks to the crowd,” Dhoni said during the post-match award presentation.
Will Dhoni receive a fitting farewell?
CSK will want to bid their captain farewell, even if it is only a slight possibility that IPL 2023 could be Dhoni’s last. Dhoni was associated with Chennai since the beginning of the tournament. CSK has won four IPL titles under his leadership. CSK’s last performance was terrible, as they came in ninth place. CSK, and their fans, would love to bid Dhoni farewell with a decent performance in this edition.
