As the Chennai Super Kings prepared for their final game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign against the Gujarat Titans, a debate over MS Dhoni’s future also erupted. In the pre-match show, former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina, Sanjay Bangar, RP Singh, and Aakash Chopra discussed whether it was time for the iconic wicket-keeper batter to hang up his boots. As RP and Raina stood ‘against’ the notion, Chopra and Bangar debated ‘for’. The debate, however, turned into a heated affair, with some intense arguments being made from both sides.
Dhoni looked a little reluctant to bat this year for CSK, coming out sometimes at even No. 8 position, promoting the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja over him. While Raina and RP suggested that the move was to give opportunities to others to flourish, Chopra and Bangar questioned Dhoni’s fitness to even bat for that long.
Here’s a part of the debate:
Aaksh Chopra: If MS Dhoni wasn’t an uncapped Indian, would he have been a part of the CSK team this year?
Suresh Raina: Absolutely, he has been with the team for 18 years. Even now, he hits the most sixes.
Aakash Chopra: The point is, why is he batting at No. 7, No. 8 or No. 9. Your team isn’t batting well, the problems are coming from the top order. Should such a big player bat higher up? Why the reluctance? Is he even fit or not?
Things get a little heated in the studio during #TheBigDebate!
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Suresh Raina: He feels he is more comfortable in the final four overs. He is fit, keeping wickets at the age of 44. He did an interview in the middle, saying a team for the World Cup (T20) is being made, hence he wants to give others like Shivam Dube more chances.
RP Singh: After a knee surgery, he is bound to take time. Every player does. He has been keeping for 20 years, manages himself. Raina also had a knee operation done. He managed himself for some time and eventually recovered.
16 runs in 6 balls! Will #AakashChopra & #SanjayBangar back #MSDhoni as the ultimate finisher?
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Further in the conversation, Bangar even stressed that Dhoni’s presence in the team isn’t allowing the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja to flourish as leaders.
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