“Say you’re not able to do it and walk away” - Former India opener’s brutal take on MS Dhoni after CSK vs RR IPL 2025 match

Former Indian opener Kris Srikkanth urged Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni to retire after the ongoing IPL season, following the side's dismal outing against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Delhi on Tuesday, May 20. The 43-year-old had a game to forget, scoring a 17-ball 16 at the backend of CSK's innings as they finished with a below-par 187/8 in 20 overs on a flat track.

Furthermore, Dhoni struggled to move swiftly behind the stumps in the second innings as RR completed the run chase comfortably in 17.1 overs. The loss was CSK's tenth in 13 outings, resulting in them almost assuredly finishing at the bottom of the table for the first time in IPL history.

Talking about Dhoni's struggles after the CSK-RR encounter on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said (via India Today):

"Dhoni is also ageing, you can’t expect too much from him. But at the same time, you can’t keep coming and messing it up, if you are not able to do it, say you’re not able to do it and walk away. That’s a call Dhoni can only take. Whether he will continue, if he continues, then in what role: captain, wicket keeper or finisher?"

He continued:

"In all fairness, his reflexes has gone down. His knees might have given up, his fitness, reflex level everything will obviously come down. And moreover, the top order is flopping."

Dhoni has batted only after a certain stage towards the end of the CSK innings in most of the games this season, battling knee issues. Yet, the veteran batter has struggled to strike big, averaging under 25 with a strike rate of 135.17 in 13 matches.

"He used to hit off spinners 10 rows into the stands" - Kris Srikkanth

Kris Srikkanth believes MS Dhoni's struggles are evident in his inability to smash opposition spinners at will. Most sides have employed their leg spinners to bowl to Dhoni when the CSK skipper walks into bat this season.

It has resulted in the 43-year-old getting stuck at the beginning of his innings when CSK are looking to accelerate.

"The problem with CSK today is that Dhoni is not able to replicate his own game. Spinners are tying him down. Once, he used to hit off spinners 10 rows into the stands. In all fairness, he is struggling," said Srikkanth.

With Dhoni's future still undecided, CSK will play their final game of IPL 2025 against table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on May 25.