19 years of MS Dhoni: From Captain Cool to CSK's Thala

Unless the 41-year-old cricketing legend shocks everyone and continues, M.S. Dhoni wants to leave the Indian Premier League with the Chennai Super Kings having won it five times. On Tuesday, CSK defeated the highly anticipated Gujarat Titans by 15 runs to secure a spot in the championship game at the largest stadium in the world, Ahmedabad.

Dhoni has said on numerous occasions that his retirement is imminent due to his declining finishing abilities, a suspect knee, and how difficult it is for him to maintain his position in the batting order. Again leaving fans in suspense, he announced on Tuesday that he would reserve his final decision until the December 2024 IPL auctions. "I will always be there for CSK, whether in playing form or just sitting somewhere," he declared.

Dhoni was raised in a small one-bedroom government flat in Ranchi that was provided by the company that employed his father, a pump operator. The young Dhoni had a strong passion for sports and developed his abilities playing tennis-ball cricket and using friends' bats and equipment. He accepted a job with Indian Railways at his father's insistence, but the demanding schedule of juggling ticket collection and cricket matches eventually led him to quit.

He made his India debut in 2004 and succeeded Rahul Dravid as the nation's one-day captain in 2007, the same year he led the team to its first Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa. He won two home series against Australia as Test captain in 2008, and in 2011 he famously sealed victory in the 50-over World Cup in India with a lavish, imperious six. Dhoni became one of the highest-paid athletes in the world of sports along the way thanks to numerous endorsements and frequent hairstyle changes, including shaggy, spiky, and shaved hairstyles. In 2015, his earnings were estimated to be $31 million.

From the IPL's inaugural season in 2008 until most recently, in 2021, he led CSK to nine finals and four victories. N. Srinivasan, the industrialist who owns the franchise, is credited with saying, "There is no CSK without Dhoni and there is no Dhoni without CSK," following the victory in 2021. Dhoni is the sole leader of the Chennai fans, who erupt in jubilation whenever he walks out to bat and applaud each ball. His retirement would be tragic.