IPL 2023: I’d be extremely surprised if this is MS Dhoni’s last season, says Kevin Pietersen

While there’s a growing belief that the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is MS Dhoni’s final as a player, Kevin Pietersen thinks otherwise and claims he would be “very surprised” if the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain actually did retire.

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Though Dhoni is yet to directly address questions over his future as a player in the world’s biggest T20 league, where he has led CSK to four titles besides multiple runner-up finishes, he has dropped a number of hints over his supposed retirement throughout the season.

Read | We believe MS Dhoni is going to play next season as well, says CSK CEO

One such incident which further fuelled speculation about MSD’s future was him doing a lap of honour around the MA Chidambaram Stadium along with the rest of the Chennai Super Kings squad at the end of their final home game of the season, during which Dhoni was seen distributing mementos into the Chepauk crowd.

“I was there for Dhoni’s lap of honour on Sunday, and it was incredible to see how the stadium stayed completely full. I’d be extremely surprised if this is his last season. I think this impact player rule actually helps him tremendously, where he can keep for 20 overs and bat wherever he wants to bat,” Pietersen wrote in his column for Betway.

“He makes the team better with the decisions he makes as a captain, and his keeping has been tremendous. It’s not like he takes a batting position up, because he tends to come in at seven, eight or nine to whack a few deliveries,” added the former England batter in his column.

Besides the lap around Chepauk, Dhoni had earlier hinted at the Eden Gardens crowd giving him a “farewell” after CSK’s victory over KKR and had also said he was at the last phase of his career earlier in the tournament.

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