Chennai Super Kings’ 2025 IPL campaign has turned into a season to forget. Once hailed as playoff regulars and five-time champions, CSK now find themselves languishing at the bottom of the table with just two wins from nine matches. While the season began with a strong win over Mumbai Indians, the form has since nose-dived, marked by inconsistency, injuries, and poor performances across departments.
CSK’s hopes were further dented after captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out due to an elbow injury, forcing MS Dhoni to return to leadership duties. However, even the iconic Dhoni’s presence in the dugout couldn’t change their fortunes.
This has sparked fresh debate about the franchise’s future and Dhoni’s role in it. Legendary Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist has now weighed in, suggesting that it might be time for the 42-year-old Dhoni to call time on his illustrious IPL career.
“He (MS Dhoni) has nothing more to prove to anyone in the game. He has achieved everything that there is. MS… well, he’ll know what he wants to do, but I’m saying, for the future – it’s going to cost me this, I know – but perhaps he doesn’t need to be there next year. I love you, MS. You are a champion, an icon,” said Gilchrist on Cricbuzz.
While Gilchrist believes Dhoni should move on, he was supportive of retaining experienced Indian all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin for at least another season.
“What a talent! Yeah, ageing, but I still see a rockstar as Shane Warne dubbed him way back at the start of IPL. I am just going to go with him one more time,” Gilchrist added.
As CSK look ahead, fans and management alike may need to confront the inevitable: the post-Dhoni era. And while his presence has defined a generation of CSK cricket, the franchise now faces the tough task of rebuilding from the ground up.
Isha Pannu, a seasoned content writer and dedicated cricket expert, brings over three years of invaluable experience to the realm of cricket journalism. She is a content producer for Cricketwebs News Website.
