{ "id": "123269", "author": "26", "cnmid": null, "title": "MS Dhoni Looks To End With A Bang In IPL Final", "lang": "en", "series": "521", "cup_year": "2023", "article_type": "Spacial", "excerpt": "M.S. Dhoni is looking to bow out in style by winning the Indian Premier League with Chennai Super Kings for the fifth time -- unless the 41-year-old cricket superstar stuns everyone and keeps going.", "subtype": null, "editor1": "

M.S. Dhoni is looking to bow out in style by winning the Indian Premier League with Chennai Super Kings for the fifth time -- unless the 41-year-old cricket superstar stuns everyone and keeps going.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

On Tuesday, skipper Dhoni's tactical nous -- at times controversial -- again sealed the deal as CSK overcame the fancied Gujarat Titans by 15 runs to book a slot in Sunday's final at the world's biggest stadium in Ahmedabad.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

With his finishing skills on the wane, a dodgy knee and his place in the batting order increasingly hard to justify, Dhoni has suggested on several occasions his retirement is imminent.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

He again kept fans guessing, saying on Tuesday he would take until the auctions for the 2024 IPL in December to make his final decision.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"I will always be there for CSK whether in playing form or sitting somewhere," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"I don't really know. But frankly, it takes a heavy toll."<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Cool Customer<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Victory on Sunday against either Mumbai, Lucknow or Gujarat -- depending on the remaining play-offs -- would be a fitting final achievement for a player who is second only to Sachin Tendulkar when it comes to fan adulation in cricket-crazy India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Hard-hitting and always unruffled, India's most successful skipper has many nicknames including "Captain Cool" and "Thala", which means "leader" in Tamil.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

First and foremost, he is a run powerhouse and finisher par excellence, but it is Dhoni's style and humble beginnings that set him apart, and which were enough for a Bollywood biopic.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Dhoni spent his early years in a cramped one-bedroom government flat in Ranchi provided by his pump operator father's employer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The young Dhoni was passionate about sport and honed his skills playing tennis-ball cricket and borrowing bats and other kit from friends.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

On his father's insistence, he took a job at Indian Railways but the hectic routine of juggling between collecting tickets and playing cricket finally saw him break free.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

In 2004, he made his India debut and in 2007, took over from Rahul Dravid as India's one-day captain, the same year leading the national side to the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

In 2008, he became Test captain and won two home series against Australia, and in 2011 famously sealed winning the 50-over World Cup in India with a sumptuous, imperious six.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Along the way -- with constant hairstyle changes, from shaggy to spiky to shaved -- numerous endorsements saw Dhoni become one of world sport's best-paid athletes, earning an estimated $31 million in 2015.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

'No CSK without Dhoni'<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

\"MS<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But he stunned the cricket world by quitting the five-day format in 2014 after finishing with 27 wins from 60 Tests as skipper.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

He stepped down from the limited-overs captaincy in 2017 on the pretext of preparing Virat Kohli as leader, but continued to play a big part in the team's decision-making process.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

His last appearance for India was in their semi-final loss to New Zealand in the 2019 ODI World Cup.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

He then briefly served with an army reserve unit, where he is an honorary lieutenant colonel, before announcing his international retirement.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But he hasn't quit the IPL, at least not yet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

He captained CSK from the IPL's first edition in 2008 and took the franchise to nine finals and four victories, most recently in 2021.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"There is no CSK without Dhoni and there is no Dhoni without CSK," N. Srinivasan, the industrialist who owns the franchise, famously said after the 2021 triumph.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

For Chennai fans -- who go wild when he strides out to bat and cheer every ball -- Dhoni is their one and only leader and his retirement would be a tragedy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Also Read: <\/b> Live Scorecard<\/a><\/p>

"They will not let him retire till he is 75," commentator Harsha Bhogle said on the Indian website Cricbuzz.<\/p>\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2023\/05\/MS-Dhoni-IPL-20231.jpg", "alt_img": "MS Dhoni", "alt_title": "IPL 2023 Final", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "MS Dhoni Looks To End With A Bang In IPL Final On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "M.S. Dhoni is looking to bow out in style by winning the Indian Premier League with Chennai Super Kings for the fifth time -- unless the 41-year-old cricket superstar stuns everyone and keeps going.\r\n", "seo_keywords": " WI U19 vs AUS U19, Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni", "tag": null, "tagging": " WI U19 vs AUS U19,Chennai Super Kings,MS Dhoni,", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "ms-dhoni-looks-to-end-with-a-bang-in-ipl-final", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "1", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "5757", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2023-05-25 09:34:22", "updated": "2023-05-25 09:34:22", "img_from": "Image Source: Google", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "MS Dhoni, IPL 2023, Chennai Super Kings", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "0", "google_feed": "0", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "1", "jio_date": "2023-05-25 09:34:22", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "1", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": "Select", "article_content_type": null, "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-special\/ms-dhoni-looks-to-end-with-a-bang-in-ipl-final-123269" }