Nobody at Chepauk truly knew what Monday night was supposed to feel like. It was officially just another IPL game, but the atmosphere suggested something far more emotional. Chennai Super Kings had suffered another defeat, this time against Sunrisers Hyderabad, yet the crowd refused to leave. Their eyes remained fixed on one man — MS Dhoni.Although Dhoni did not feature in the playing XI due to his calf injury, he was present at the stadium and participated in the team’s lap of honour after what was CSK’s final home game of IPL 2026. With phones raised and chants echoing across Chepauk, fans stayed behind hoping to witness what many feared could be Dhoni’s final appearance in yellow.The biggest talking point of the night came from former CSK star Suresh Raina, who revealed details of his conversation with Dhoni during the post-match lap. Speaking on Star Sports, Raina joked that IPL 2026 should not count as a farewell season since Dhoni had not played a single match.“I told him, ‘you have given IPL 2026 a missed call. It won’t count. You have to come back next year,’” Raina said. Dhoni reportedly replied, “Nahi yaar, body thoda waisa hai,” admitting that his body no longer feels strong enough.Despite that statement, Raina insisted Dhoni had not fully closed the door on IPL 2027. According to him, Dhoni simply responded, “Let me see,” leaving fans with a small but emotional reason to continue believing. After an entire season spent recovering from injury, uncertainty still surrounds Dhoni’s future, but at Chepauk, hope clearly remains alive.
‘My body is weak’: Did MS Dhoni hint at IPL retirement after CSK defeat?
