Published on: May 01, 2025
By: BTI
Location: Chennai, India
A poignant moment after Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) four-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium has taken social media by storm, as a viral photo shows former India captain MS Dhoni in an emotional meet-and-greet with the franchise’s owners.
The game, which marked CSK’s final home fixture of the season, ended in heartbreak as the team was officially knocked out of the IPL 2025 playoff race. Adding to the sentiment, this match could very well have been Dhoni’s final appearance at Chepauk — a venue that has witnessed countless iconic moments in the wicketkeeper-batsman’s illustrious career.
At the toss, commentator Danny Morrison asked Dhoni whether fans could expect him next season. Smiling, Dhoni responded, “I don’t know, I’m coming for the next game.” The vague reply has only intensified speculation about his potential retirement.
Dhoni acknowledged CSK’s struggles this season, particularly their inability to leverage home advantage. “One of the things is the pride factor. Majority of the games you play at home. Home advantage is very important which we haven’t been able to capitalise on,” he admitted.
In the match, Yuzvendra Chahal emerged as the game-changer for PBKS with a brilliant spell of 4/32, including a hat-trick that derailed CSK’s innings, limiting them to 190 all out. Chasing the target, Shreyas Iyer (72 off 41) and Prabhsimran Singh (54 off 36) anchored Punjab’s reply, guiding them to 194/6 with two balls to spare.
With the win, Punjab Kings surged to second place on the points table with 13 points, while CSK, languishing at the bottom with just 4 points, are officially out of contention for the playoffs.
As speculation around Dhoni’s future grows, fans are left cherishing what might have been a silent, unscripted farewell to one of cricket’s most beloved figures.
