3 reasons why MS Dhoni must return for another season after IPL 2023 triumph with CSK

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni once again weaved his magic to deliver a record-equalling fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter played a key role in leading the team as well as dismissing star Gujarat Titans (GT) batter Shubman Gill with a stumping as Chennai won the summit clash by five wickets off the final ball in Ahmedabad.

Over the course of the entire tournament, speculation was rife surrounding Dhoni's future. He was constantly questioned about the subject in press conferences and post-match interviews and he managed to slyly keep the fans as well as the pundits on the edge of their seats.

However, Dhoni had to face the music following the finale, where somehow CSK lifting the trophy was in the shadows. Much to the fans' delight, the championship-winning skipper promised that he would try to be back for another season, should his fitness permit. That proved to be all the validation that the die-hard fans were earning from minute one.

Dhoni said:

"Circumstantially if you see, this is the best time to announce my retirement. But the amount of love and affection I have been shown wherever I have been this year, the easy thing would be for me to say "Thank you very much", but the tough thing for me is to work hard for another nine months and come back and play at least one more season of IPL."

On that note, let us take a look at 3 reasons why MS Dhoni must return for another season after IPL 2023 triumph with CSK.

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#1 Dhoni's leadership ability is unmatched

Dhoni's biggest asset to this day is his leadership, and that is a prospect that will not waver with age by any means. His astute ability to command a side coupled with his innate gut feeling and on-the-spot decision-making is something that cannot be bought at an auction on a readymade basis.

Whether it be his field placement to dismiss Hardik Pandya in Qualifier 1 or several other decisions over the course of the season, the veteran showed that he still has the ability to lead a team to silverware.

While his leadership has hardly been questioned across the nation at the franchise level on the back of the success he has attained, the most recent title win is an example of what he has to offer even in his early 40s.

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#2 Can use the next season to groom the next leader

CSK did try to move on from Dhoni as captain in the 2022 edition, but it ended up being an experiment that failed across all fronts. Ravindra Jadeja was appointed as the captain, but stepped down midway through the season, with the additional responsibility affecting his performances as well.

It was clear at that point that CSK are not yet ready to part ways with Dhoni and his leadership as of yet. While imagining a future without their ace player is a scary thought, it will soon be a reality and the best that the franchise can do is prepare the next candidate, for which Dhoni is essential.

Whether it be Ravindra Jadeja again, Ruturaj Gaikwad, or even Ben Stokes, MS Dhoni, the management will have a certain replacement in mind.

As a result, the next season will be critical in shaping the next leader of the highly successful franchise.

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#3 He is not a liability for his side and fulfills his role to perfection

Dhoni's role in the current team setup has been to guide the team, keep wickets and score runs at the back of the innings if required. He has arguably performed well across all those aspects throughout the season.

Despite battling a knee injury, it did not impact Dhoni's wicketkeeping or his ability to run between the wickets. He scored some crucial runs in the death overs and did not even miss a single match.

From that perspective, he is far from being a liability to his squad even though he is in the final years of his career. If he can provide a similar impact and maintain his fitness, there is no reason for him to not return to the CSK fold for IPL 2024.

Will the veteran player play for CSK in IPL 2024? Let us know what you think.