MS Dhoni’s retirement talks from the Indian Premier League have sparked more after Suresh Raina revealed the chat he had with the former CSK skipper after their last home game of the season on Monday, May 18. CSK lost a crucial match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which hit their playoff chances massively.ย
CSK can now reach a maximum of 14 points if they win their last league stage game against the Gujarat Titans. They would still need some results going their way to seal an unlikely playoff spot. It turned out to be a pretty emotional night at the Chepauk, which concluded with CSK losing and Dhoni taking a lap of honour with the team in what could have possibly been his final appearance in the yellow.ย
Raina’s revelation breaks CSK fans’ hearts
Raina and Dhoni reunited at the Chepauk as the two shared a warm hug after the match finished. Raina revealed that he asked Dhoni to play the next season, to which he stated that his ‘body is a little weak’. “I told him ‘you have given IPL 2026 a missed call. It wonโt count. You have to come back next year’,” Raina said. “He said ‘my body is a little weak’ – I said ‘we are not believing anything. You have to play next year’. It’s his personal call. I think he is positive. The team is also gelling well again.”
CSK appeared at ground for first time
Meanwhile, Dhoni appeared on the ground for the first time this season. While he had been training with the team during the practice sessions, he had not turned up at the ground for any of CSK’s matches. The trend changed for the SRH clash as he came to the Chepauk. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad revealed that Dhoni is ‘still here, but he’s not fit enough to play this game’.
SRH inflict massive blow to CSK’s playoff chances
SRH have inflicted a massive blow to CSK’s playoff chances. Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen starred with the bat, sharing a 75-run partnershipย from 41 balls for the third wicket. Kishan was the hero for SRH as he made 70 to see SRH home with five wickets in hand and one over to spare.ย ย The loss meant that CSK’s chances of making the playoffs took a big hit. The Super Kings had a chance to break into the top four with a win over the SRH, but they dropped a place further down to sixth as their playoff chances hang by a thread.ย
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