CSK loses to RCB; Dhoni leaves dugout while RCB players celebrate
Following RCB’s win against CSK on Saturday, many avid cricket fans have speculated that former CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MSD) may have played his last IPL match ever following his quiet exit from the dugout after RCB defeated CSK by 27 runs, entering their 9th IPL Playoffs.
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad had won the toss and opted to bowl for the first inning. Following the first inning, RCB had scored 218 runs. CSK struggled to keep the run rate up as talented RCB bowlers like Cameron Green, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal slowed the overs down.
Despite the struggles, CSK fans at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru had hoped for some “Dhoni magic” when MSD entered the crease in partnership with Shardul Thakur in the 19th over of the game. But sadly, after hitting a gigantic six of 110 metres, MSD was bowled out by Yash Dayal in the very next ball, quashing CSK’s dreams of victory.
MSD was seen to be heartbroken over his loss of wicket as the legendary “captain cool” returned to the dugout. Following his exit, Ravindra Jadeja entered the field but failed to make any meaningful impact on the 219-run target.
The last dot ball in the final over of the match marked defending champion CSK’s exit from the IPL 2024, with thousands of CSK fans at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium lamenting the brutal loss against RCB.
Dhoni was seen standing up in the dugout as the game ended, looking at the celebrating RCB players in the field from afar as they entered their ninth IPL playoff. The former CSK captain waited for the RCB players to arrive at the dugouts for a while, but the latter were too busy celebrating their victory.
As a result, MSD shook hands with some of the reserve RCB players in the dugout but made an unnoticed exit a short while later. Many fans have bashed RCB for their unprofessionalism, which is keeping the legendary batsman waiting, especially when MSD was grieving the loss of CSK in what fans speculate is the last match of Dhoni’s IPL career.
Needless to say, one does not necessarily need to be a CSK fan to know that losing MSD will be a major loss for the world of Indian cricket. For the one who brought home the World Cup after 28 years since Kapil Dev, MSD holds a special place in the hearts of Indian cricket fans, who have felt the excitement on countless occasions when he arrived at the crease.
Speculations about Dhoni’s last match await an official statement
Before the match between RCB and CSK on Saturday, former Australian cricketer Shane Robert Watson had predicted the sad speculation—MSD’s last IPL match. Watson had posted a short video on X (formerly Twitter) stating, “Given the important nature of the match, most fans will side with CSK as this may very well be MSD’s last IPL match, ever”.
Here’s my prediction for the IPL 2024 playoff chances of CSK and RCB! As a former player for both teams, I know them well. With RCB winning 5 in a row and CSK needing a win, this is their chance to secure a playoff spot! I have a feeling CSK will make it to the playoffs! What’s… pic.twitter.com/vNNjeVt9gW
— Shane Watson (@ShaneRWatson33) May 18, 2024
After CSK’s loss and Dhoni’s quiet departure from the dugouts as RCB players remained engrossed in celebrating their win, many veteran cricketers like Harsha Bhogle and Michael Vaughan criticised the RCB players for skipping out on the handshaking ceremony with Dhoni’s, given that it may very well have been the former CSK captain’s last IPL match.
Vaughan said in a statement, “Dhoni is an iconic player. I wouldn’t want to be an RCB player tomorrow morning, thinking, ‘Wait a minute, MS Dhoni has announced his retirement, and we didn’t have the decency to go and shake his hand first”.
Although shortly after Dhoni’s departure, RCB’s Virat Kohli went inside the CSK dressing room to meet the former Indian captain. MSD and Kohli have shared a good friendship on and off the field ever since the two players met in the Indian World Cup squad of 2011.
Despite speculations about Dhoni’s retirement from cricket, former CSK squad mate Robin Uthappa has remained hopeful that MSD may return for one more IPL season in 2025.
Without official confirmation from Dhoni’s side, fans remain hopeful to witness the legendary wicketkeeper play for CSK once again in the next IPL. MSD was spotted at Ranchi airport as he returned home from Bengaluru on Sunday, a day after CSK’s elimination from IPL 2024.
