Key Points
Dhoni remains a key player for CSK despite retirement from international cricket
Still performs effectively as a finisher in IPL
Retained by CSK at Rs 4 crore for 2025 season
Sixth-highest run-getter in IPL history
Speaking about what goes through his mind when people discuss Dhoni's retirement from the IPL, Samson said, "When Dhoni is playing in the IPL, people keep talking about when he is retiring; in my mind, I am like "thoda aur bhaiya".
Whether the upcoming IPL season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be the last for Dhoni is uncertain. But ever since his retirement from international cricket in 2020, there have been speculations over when the legend will pull curtains on a glorious IPL career, in which he has captured five trophies as a captain.
Ahead of the 2025 season, Dhoni was retained as an uncapped player by CSK at Rs 4 crore. IPL had introduced a new rule ahead of last year's auction, allowing franchises to retain players in the uncapped category if they have not played international cricket for five years.
Since his retirement in 2020, Dhoni has only appeared in the IPL. In the 2024 season, he scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 220 and an average of 53.66 after 11 innings, staying unbeaten eight times and fulfilling the role of a finisher for the five-time champions.
Dhoni is the sixth-highest run-getter in IPL history, with 5.243 runs in 264 matches and 229 innings at an average of 39.12, a strike rate of 137.53 and 24 fifties. His best score is 84*. Other than CSK, he also played for Rising Pune Supergiant (RPG), a now-defunct-franchise, from 2016-17.
