Opinion on MS Dhoni's Next Move: 1983 World Cup Winner Shares Thoughts

Speculation is rife that the 2024 IPL season may be MS Dhoni's last, following his decision to step down as captain of CSK just before the start of the tournament. Dhoni, who led CSK to five IPL titles, passed the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad on the eve of their opening match against RCB. At 42 years old, Dhoni is the second oldest Indian to play in the IPL. Having achieved immense success in his illustrious career, many believe that the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman will retire after the IPL 2024.

Former Indian cricketer Kirti Azad believes that MS Dhoni's decision to resign as captain is not related to his future in the IPL. Azad, a member of India's 1983 World Cup-winning team, stated that if Dhoni performs well in the upcoming season, he could continue playing cricket beyond IPL 2024.

“The decision to step down as captain was his choice. He wants to bat freely. Whether this will be his final IPL depends entirely on his fitness and mindset. By relinquishing the captaincy, it seems he wants to enjoy being just a player again rather than shoulder the captain’s burden. If he performs well, I’m sure he would be happy to keep playing.” 

MS Dhoni has previously passed his leadership position at CSK. Initially, he handed the reins to Ravindra Jadeja in IPL 2022 but took back control after Chennai won only 2 out of 8 games. Dhoni then led CSK to their fifth IPL title in 2023.

Dhoni's presence will take the pressure off Gaikwad as captain and prepare him for future seasons, according to Azad, who spoke highly of Gaikwad's credibility.

Ruturaj Gaikwad led India to a gold medal at the Asian Games and has also captained Maharashtra in domestic cricket. However, Azad points out that leading an IPL team requires a different set of skills, so fans should be patient with Gaikwad if he does not produce the best results immediately as captain.