5 reasons why IPL 2025 could be MS Dhoni's final season

MS Dhoni With IPL Trophy. (Photo Source : Twitter/@ImTanujSingh)

MS Dhoni has received criticism for his presence and performance in the , due to CSK's situation in the ongoing season. While Dhoni has scored 76 runs in four innings at a batting average of 76.00, and a batting strike rate of 138.18 — out of which his strike rate in the death overs phase was 180.00 — none of his contributions have come in a winning cause.

The star player might be a few seasons away from bidding adieu to the biggest cricket league. There could be a good chance of 2025 being his last season as a player in the IPL due to many reasons. It could finally help CSK to move on from a legend of the game and focus on their future. While it is difficult to replace someone like Dhoni, it is inevitable for the star player to hang his boots for good one day.

Five reasons why 2025 could be MS Dhoni's last IPL season: Numbers in unsuccessful run chase since 2023 

This might not be a key factor in his retirement. However, it shows how either CSK hasn't made the best use of Dhoni or the star batter wasn't able to win matches as well as he once used to. Since 2023, Dhoni has been a part of 11 run chases as a batter, tasted success on four occasions, and suffered a loss in seven.

In successful run chases, Dhoni's batting average is 3.00, batting strike rate is 33.31, with a total of just three runs to his name. On the other hand, his numbers in unsuccessful run chases tell a story. The 43-year-old has 196 runs in seven innings at a batting average of 98.00 and a batting strike rate of 178.18. Most of his runs have come in a losing cause.

Criticism from fans and critics

In the IPL 2025, CSK and have gained a bad reputation for their performance and intent to win. CSK’s fans have themselves failed to understand the lack of intent from their players to win matches. Additionally, the star batter hasn't done any justice to the fans with his batting performances in the season so far.

Even critics have unabashedly gone after the experienced batter for not batting ahead of the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in some instances. His inability to win matches has been questioned by fans and critics. It could force Dhoni to rethink the present and future of his IPL career.

CSK's poor season Chennai Super Kings. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

In the ongoing season, Chennai Super Kings have been poor, to say the least. Apart from Ruturaj Gaikwad and bowlers like Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, and Noor Ahmed, other players have failed terribly. After beating MI in the first match of the season, CSK have lost their last three matches convincingly in all facets of the game.

Against RCB, they suffered their biggest loss at home in IPL history in terms of the number of runs. Against RR, CSK were in the game but failed to finish the match towards the end. The five-time champions suffered a hat-trick of losses as they went down to DC by 25 runs — their first loss to the team in 15 years at Chepauk.

Fitness Concerns MS Dhoni. (Photo Source - Twitter/X)

One of the key aspects of him batting lower down the order is his fitness. At his age, Dhoni isn't among the fittest players in the world. Ever since he underwent knee surgery in 2023, the wicketkeeper-batter hasn't been at his agile best. He hasn't been able to run as freely as he used to in the past, for a long time.

CSK Head Coach Stephen Fleming confirmed this to be the reason behind the former CSK skipper batting lower down the order. If things don't improve with the star player in the next few months, he might have to contemplate his IPL future. It would be in the best interest of the team to field a fitter player.

Age factor MS-Dhoni. (Photo source: X/CSK)

As of April 2025, Dhoni is 43 years old. On July 7, he will be 44 and a year closer to his retirement. At his age, there are not many cricketers who have continued playing. At the IPL level, Pravin Tambe was the only cricketer who remained competitive for his side. For a wicketkeeper-batter, playing at the age of 44 could nearly be a miracle.

Especially for someone like Dhoni, with his fitness and injury concerns, age will be a huge factor. Even with the Impact Player rule, it could be difficult to accommodate him in the playing XI. His fitness might only deteriorate further with age. Given Dhoni's ideals, he would think twice before taking a decision on his IPL future.