IPL 2022: Don't prepare 'Thank you MS Dhoni' messages, he'll play next season - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra has advised MS Dhoni's fans against preparing 'thank you' notes for him expecting him to announce his retirement after Friday's IPL 2022 match against Rajasthan Royals. The former opener feels Chennai Super Kings' inability to find a worthy heir will prompt Dhoni to play for another season.

Dhoni left the Super Kings' captaincy ahead of IPL 2022, only to be asked to lead again after Ravindra Jadeja stepped down mid-season, saying he wanted to focus on his primary skills. The 40-year-old has made big announcements in post-season presentations before - like his "I still haven't left behind" remark in 2021 - and some fans expect something similar after the franchise's last match of IPL 2022.

But in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Chopra said the franchise might try to sign a new captain ahead of the 2023 season, but even then, seeing how IPL 2022 went for them, Dhoni would want to stay around to help out the new leader.

Chopra said:

"No, don't do that at all. He might not play next year but when I, you, and everyone on social media anticipate it to happen, it will definitely not happen. So expect the unexpected. I think he'll play the next season because the King's heir isn't ready yet."

"Who will you put on the throne? They might go shopping for a captain in the next auction with a different mentality. But when the captain is not ready, and given the kind of cricket they've played this year, I won't be surprised to see Mahendra Singh Dhoni continue playing."

After Jadeja was able to secure just two wins from eight games, Dhoni raised hopes for a possible comeback by winning the first game on his return to the helm. But the team's injury concerns and lack of depth had the final say again.

They became the second IPL team out of the qualifying race which led to experiments with the batting order, including the dropping of some senior players in the previous match. Asked what changes might happen on Friday, Chopra termed it "very difficult to guess" because the team has already set its eyes on the future.

Chopra explained:

"You have already set your eyes on the future. You have rested both Ambati Rayudu and Robin Uthappa, you tried [Narayan] Jagadeesan [at No. 4 against Gujarat Titans] but you also said in the post-match that you should've sent Shivam Dube ahead of him."

"When you look at matches from that perspective, it's very difficult to guess what they'll do next. They might go with a completely different thinking to match their plans for the next year. So if there have been middle-order issues, it won't be solved now because neither Jagadeesan is their long-term prospect nor we know how much they want to invest in Shivam Dube..."

The doubts about Dube's future in the franchise are rooted in the fact that he was dropped from the 11 when he was leading the scoring charts for them. He was brought back only when Jadeja got injured and since then has looked like he's been playing without a clear role.

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"When Deepak Chahar is available, this bowling will suddenly seem more potent" - Aakash Chopra

One of the few positives for the team this season has been the rise of left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary. The debutant picked up 16 wickets from 12 games, mostly with the new ball, almost filling the shoes of the injured Deepak Chahar.

Chopra envisages that once Chahar returns, the Super Kings will become a more exciting and potent team to watch with an ability to pick wickets in the powerplay being their defining character. Chopra concluded by saying:

"Imagine if they both were bowling in tandem, what fun that would have been. Right-arm swing from one side, left-arm swing from the other. From their perspective, Mukesh Choudhary is no doubt the the find of the tournament so far. They'll certainly want to build around him next year."

"When Deepak is available, this bowling will suddenly seem more potent. I see the next year's Chennai Super Kings as a side that'll pick 1-2 wickets in the powerplay in every match."

The match will be played at the Brabourne Stadium and will kick off at 7:30 pm IST.