"MS Dhoni will return to CSK in IPL 2025 but.."- Matthew Hayden's volcanic revelation

Former Chennai Super Kings opener Matthew Hayden feels that MS Dhoni might have actually played his last game for CSK in IPL 2024 against RCB.

MS Dhoni and the CSK were in action last week for their final IPL 2024 league stage match at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium. It was a high-stakes match wherein both Chennai and Bengaluru were fighting for the 4th place in the points table. Despite the best efforts from the visitors, RCB was the team that came out on top and claimed victory by 27 runs.

With the match's result not coming out in the favor of CSK, many are wondering if that's how MS Dhoni's journey in the IPL comes to an end. The former franchise captain, who won the title in 2023, was seemingly frustrated after Chennai's exit from the tournament. The 5-time champions finished in the 5th spot this season with 14 points, missing out on the top 4 due to a poor net run-rate of +0.392.

What did Matthew Hayden say about MS Dhoni?

While speaking to Star Sports recently, Matthew Hayden disclosed some huge information about MS Dhoni's future in the Indian Premier League. Hayden believes that Chennai's clash against Bengaluru last week was MSD's final appearance "as a player" in the tournament.

Haydos made it clear that it was the last time we saw MS Dhoni play in the Yellow CSK jersey but it won't be the last time we saw him in the dugout. The Australian expert pundit further claimed that he would be very surprised if his former franchise captain didn't return as a mentor or become a part of the coaching staff.

“I think this is it. I do believe that this will be the last time that Dhoni will play. Certainly, won’t be the last time that we see Dhoni. I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t mentor or be a part of the family of CSK in an official capacity." - Matthew Hayden said via Star Sports.

There is a wave of talk going around the town that MS Dhoni's participation in IPL 2025 will depend upon his fitness levels. Across the last two seasons, the 42-year-old has been playing with a strap on his knees which indicates that he was not fully fit to play. However, despite the injury concern, Dhoni continued to play at his best this season.

He scored 161 runs at a daunting strike rate of 220.55 with a best of 37*. In terms of boundaries, MSD smashed 13 sixes and 14 fours and also took 10 catches behind the stumps this year.

Hayden adds that MSD has still that same power

Matthew Hayden went on to add that MS Dhoni is still able to use all of his cricketing brain for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. That the power on his wrists and the strength he generates is still the same as before. Haydos concluded by saying that Dhoni is still the one who hits the ball clean and neat at the back end of the innings, something that is very difficult to do.

"He’s desperately using his brains, all of that cricket knowledge. And of course, the power is there and that’s always been MS Dhoni. He’s always hit balls at this stage of an innings. At the front, you can understand how players can hit it. But at the back, it’s really hard to hit balls." - Hayden concluded.