Is Virat Kohli retiring? Mitchell McCleneghan drops Gigantic MS Dhoni-Virat Kohli remark ahead of RCB vs CSK

Updated - 11 May 2024, 02:44 PM

MS Dhoni Virat Kohli IPL 2024
MS Dhoni Virat Kohli (Image Credits: Twitter)

Former New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan made humorous remarks about former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni's future in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Mitchell McClenaghan stated that MS Dhoni will continue to represent the Chennai Super Kings in another cycle.

MS Dhoni led the Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title with a win against the Gujarat Titans (GT) last year. The wicketkeeper-batsman equaled Rohit Sharma's record for the most IPL title wins as captain. He holds the record for the most IPL wins as captain, with 133 victories in 226 matches.

However, the 42-year-old batter stepped down from captaincy before the first match in the ongoing T20 tournament. The right-handed batter has scored 110 runs in 10 innings at an average of 55 and an outstanding strike rate of 224.49. He's been batting lower down the order due to a muscle injury.

He's Never Retiring - Mitchell McClenaghan

When the anchor asked about the potential last face-off between Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni in the IPL, former wicketkeeper batter Deep Dasgupta questioned the notion of "one last time." Mitchell McClenaghan highlighted the speculation on Dhoni's retirement over the past four years.

"Everyone's talking about how RCB-CSK, potentially Kohli vs Dhoni one last time with one spot in the playoffs," asks the anchor.

"What do you mean 'one last time'?" Deep Dasgupta said.

"Kohli retiring, is he? I feel like we've been talking about Dhoni retiring for the last four years. He's never retiring. He'll go another cycle," Mitchell McClenaghan stated.

The Chennai Super Kings suffered a 35-run loss against the Shubman Gill-led team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, May 10. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led team is currently in fourth place in the points table. The CSK team has won six matches out of 12 in the ongoing season.

Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are in seventh place with 10 points after 12 matches. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have almost confirmed berths in the playoffs with 16 points each, while other teams, including CSK and RCB, are competing for the remaining slots.

Chennai will face the Rajasthan Royals in their next match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday, May 12. The CSK team will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their last league stage match in Bengaluru on May 18. The team needs to win the two games to improve their playoff chances.

Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan Score Centuries In Recent Match

The Gujarat Titans posted a formidable total of 231/4 in 20 overs after being asked to bat. Openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan each scored impressive centuries. Gill scored 104 off 55 balls, and Sudharsan added 103 off 51 balls. Tushar Deshpande took two wickets for 33 runs in four overs.

In reply, CSK lost three wickets for 10 runs in just 2.5 overs. However, Daryl Mitchell and Moeen Ali rescued the team with a 109-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Mohit Sharma turned the match in GT's favor by dismissing Mitchell, Ali, and Shivam Dube. Chennai could only manage 196/8 in 20 overs.

Also read: Paul Stirling brutally mocks Babar Azam after beating Pakistan in the 1st T20I