Speaking on MS Dhoni's decision to wait 6-7 months and see if his body allows him to play another season of the IPL, former India and Chennai Super Kings' off-spinner Harbhajan Singh expressed confidence that Dhoni will come back to play one more edition of the T20 league.
The IPL final couldn't have asked for a better finish, as CSK won their fifth title in style, with Ravindra Jadeja hitting a six and a four off the last two balls when Chennai needed 10 runs to beat Gujarat Titans, while chasing a revised target of 171 in 15 overs in the rain-curtailed final on Monday.
After the match, the fans eagerly waited for CSK captain Dhoni to speak about his future plans, and the legendary former India captain announced that he hasn't ruled out the possibility of coming back to play again for CSK next year, receiving a rapturous cheer from the crowd.
Speaking on Star Sports' Cricket Live, Harbhajan said, "This is the biggest news for fans. MS Dhoni will (may) come back next year...Fans will get to witness their beloved Thala don that yellow jersey again. The expectations are going to be high from CSK next year and this team knows pretty well how to handle that pressure of expectations."
The IPL final in 2023 was the landmark 250th match for Dhoni, and former India all-rounder and coach Ravi Shastri reckons the legacy of MSD is unparalleled.
"250 IPL matches is a tribute to MS Dhoni's fitness. No one can match the kind of legacy Dhoni is going to leave behind in this tournament. He is called Thala by the whole of Chennai and Tamil Nadu. The love and adulation a guy from Jharkhand receives down south from fans of CSK is testimony to the greatness of this cricketer."
(With agency inputs)
