Definitely not: Sunil Gavaskar rules out MS Dhoni retirement after IPL 2022
India Today
IPL 2022: Batting great Sunil Gavaskar said MS Dhoni will continue to play the IPL in 2023, adding that the CSK captain is still enthusiastic about his game.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said he is hopeful that MS Dhoni will return to play for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2023. Gavaskar's comments came after CSK were knocked out of the playoffs race by Mumbai Indians after the holders lost Match 59 of IPL 2022 by 5 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Gavaskar said Dhoni's performances in IPL 2022 show he is still keen and enthusiastic about the game and that he is "definitely not" going to hang up his boots. Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020 but the World Cup-winning former skipper has continued to represent CSK in the IPL.
Dhoni was CSK's top-scorer on Thursday with an unbeaten 36 as he unsuccessfully tried to bat the full quota of 20 overs with the tail. CSK were bundled out for 97, only the 2nd time they have posted a total of less than 100 in IPL history after the top-order was rocked by Daniel Sams and Jasprit Bumrah.
Dhoni has scored 199 runs in 12 matches at an average of 39.80 and he has been striking at over 130. The 40-year-old took fans down memory lane on multiple occasions, hitting those big ones. Dhoni even successfully finished games more than once for CSK.
"Well, I mean, look at the way he has played. He is clearly showing he is very keen, still enthusiastic about the game," Gavaskar told Star Sports.
" On the field, it was quite telling today. He was running from one end to the other end, which means he was keen. He senses an opportunity when those 2 or 3 early wickets fell. We have seen him doing this very regularly.
"Which means 'definitely not'. Yes (he will continue), that is exactly what he said when he was asked about it (in 2020)," he added.