'There is No CSK Without Dhoni,' Says N Srinivasan
But will MS Dhoni return in yellow next season?
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Former BCCI president and India Cements Ltd (ICL) vice-chairman N Srinivasan has showered praise on Chennai Super Kings' captain MS Dhoni, saying "there is no CSK without Dhoni".
Just to refresh the reader's, ICL owned the CSK franchise from the start of IPL in 2008 till 2014, when the ownership was transferred to Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd, a subsidiary of ICL.
The Super Kings became the IPL champions for the fourth time this season, thanks to Dhoni's leadership. Hailing the Captain and CSK's triumphant campaign, Srinivasan said, "It was a remarkable win. It puts Chennai on top of the world."
"Dhoni is part and parcel of CSK. There is no CSK without Dhoni and there is no Dhoni without CSK," Srinivasan told reporters in Chennai.
MS Dhoni's CSK beat KKR to win their fourth IPL title.
(Photo:BCCI/IPL)
Dhoni has not openly spoken about his future as a player for Chennai Super Kings specially after the big auction later this year. With two more teams being added to the IPL roster next season, there will be a big auction in December ahead of which team are likely to be allowed to retain only three player. With MSD having crossed 40, he may not be a player the team would like to retain, as they will once again be rebuilding from scratch.
So while he has not spoke about his CSK future, he did indicate that he may come back for the next season. In the post-match interaction with Harsh Bhogle after the final, when Harshan said to MS, "You can be proud of the legacy you've left behind", Dhoni replied, "I still haven't left."
After the IPL Final, some CSK officials though have confirmed that Dhoni will not leave CSK. However, they are waiting for BCCI's rules over retention for next season.
The Super Kings won their 4th IPL title by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final. A spirited batting performance from veteran Faf du Plessis (59-ball 86), magical spells from Shardul Thakur (3/38), Josh Hazlewood (2/29), and Ravindra Jadeja (2/37) powered CSK to a brilliant 27-run win at Dubai International Cricket stadium.
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