"Don't Need Him Next Year": South Africa Great's Huge Verdict On MS Dhoni's CSK Future

Legendary South Africa cricket team fast bowler Shaun Pollock said that he will be surprised to see MS Dhoni playing for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL next year and added that the team is ready to go forward under Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s leadership. Dhoni was given the captaincy once again after Ruturaj was ruled out due to injury but it did not change CSK’s fortunes. The five-time champions crashed out of IPL 2025 playoffs race after losing eight out of their ten matches till now. Pollock said that Dhoni has nothing more to achieve and it will all come down to the legacy that he wants to leave behind.

“I don’t think (CSK needs Dhoni the captain next season). He is having to step in because Gaikwad is injured. He has nothing more to achieve. He has won as much as anyone. It’s gonna be down to what he wants because of the legacy he has left and the impact he has had on the franchise, they have kind of given him free rein to be the one who makes the call. We will wait until you have decided you have had enough. Will that change? I don’t know. Would the owners have a word with him? We’ve tried to predict this for so long and now we sound like a broken record. We can’t get to the bottom of it. But yeah, I would be very surprised if he were there next year,” Pollock said on Cricbuzz.

Legendary Australia cricketer Adam Gilchrist said that the decision will ultimately rest with Dhoni. 

“He’s an icon. He’s above Hall of Fame. He has set the standard for anyone who tries to get into that Hall of Fame in this tournament. It is going to be a long time before a single player can have such an impact on building and the legacy of IPL cricket. Whatever does happen, there’s plenty of time to reflect on that, and knowing him, he might not just say anything and keep us guessing until next year. Whatever the case, he has had the biggest impact in IPL,” Gilchrist added.