Former Australian cricketer and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player, Matthew Hayden, has shared his expectations for India’s MS Dhoni, as he gears up for his presumed final season in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Reports of Dhoni’s retirement have already surfaced, leading fans and experts to hope that his last season is memorable.
Hayden, who played for CSK from 2008-2010 under Dhoni’s captaincy, expressed that the renowned skipper would want to retire on a high note in front of a packed Chennai crowd. He further stated that the upcoming season of the IPL would celebrate his legacy extravagantly.
“See CSK, they notoriously find a way to do things unique and special. Take their hiatus out of their IPL, it was unfortunate the two years they weren’t playing, and they came back the year after that to win the IPL, it was most unexpected. And they have a way!” Hayden said on Star Sports.
Hayden credited Dhoni for revitalising and revamping the CSK side over the years. “MS Dhoni has a way of revitalising, revamping, making it just a completely different look and feel to the side, even though it’s had this great tag of having complete trust in few players and having retained most of their players,” he added.
Hayden believes that this year will be an extraordinary celebration of Dhoni’s legacy. “It’s the finish I believe of the legacy of MS Dhoni, and he will want to go out in style with his fans, who’d want him to go out in style as well,” he said.
In his 15-year-long career in the tournament, Dhoni has led Chennai Super Kings to four title victories, making them the second most successful franchise in the IPL. Until 2022, CSK was the only franchise to have stuck to a single captain ever since the inception of the IPL in 2008. Although they momentarily snapped of the tie to hand over captaincy duties to Ravindra Jadeja, CSK quickly restored normalcy by bringing Dhoni back after a dismal show by the team.
