Hyderabad: Wrap a blindfold while watching a Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) match from the stadium and let the other senses take over. How one knows if Mr. MS Dhoni has arrived?
Easy: the loudest decibel noise that almost pierces through your ear coupled by a rise in rhythmic 'Dhoni, Dhoni' chant. That's how you know Thala has arrived. The crowd goes absolutely bonkers. It's a privilege to see Dhoni on the field at the sunset of his glittering career that provided India trophies after the 2007 World Cup set-back as he marshaled a young brigade to the cricket's highest glory in the inaugural T-20 World Cup. And then beckoned the 2011 World Cup that all of India was waiting for.
As his retirement rumors takes centre stage, the 41-year-old Dhoni has still got the brute power to clobber sixes at his own volition during the death overs. And it does makes you think if he can still continue? When his retirement saga began, Dhoni had wished to finish things off at the home ground, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. There were enough indications of his retirement if one could read between the lines.
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"All said and done, it's the last phase of my career, however long I play. After two years, the fans have had the opportunity to come here and watch, it feels good to be here. The crowd has given us a lot of love and affection. Not getting enough chances to bat, but no complaints," he had earlier said.
He quit captaincy last year hinting at the slow transition of someone else taking over only to come back later in the aftermath of Chennai's repeated setbacks and the pressure it generated on Ravindra Jadeja. The ongoing tournament is most likely to be his last but he still is keeping cards close to his chest as he often does. Dhoni mentioned about the Eden Garden crowd last week about the crowd wanting to bid him farewell.
"I will just say thanks for the support; they came in big numbers. Most of these guys will come in a KKR jersey next time. They are trying to give me a farewell, so thanks a lot to the crowd," he said. But soon turned the wheels back. When widely known commentator Danny Morrison posed the question to him during the toss of the match between LSG and CSK in Lucknow.
"Clearly, This wonderful swansong tour, your last. How are you enjoying it?". A smiling Dhoni had a better reply up his sleeve. "You have decided it is my last IPL, not me." Even his coach, Stephen Fleming has received no communication regarding Dhoni's retirement. “No, he hasn’t indicated anything.”
That's how Dhoni has always been. He keeps you guessing until the very last moment. Retire or not, make sure to savour his presence. Laud his running between the wickets. Be enthralled by his heightened senses behind the stumps for every cameo that he plays for CSK's innings adds another chapter to Dhoni's beautiful saga.
