‘Had this conversation with Mahi Bhai…’: MS Dhoni tells Mohammad Shami about ‘retirement plans’

MS Dhoni’s retirement from the IPL remains a mystery to his fans who missed him and his team – Chennai Super Kings – in the play-offs earlier this year. The stage was set perfectly for Dhoni’s dream farewell with the Qualifier 2 and the final scheduled to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. However, the men in yellow lost their last league match by 27 runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and were eliminated for the season.

The mystery surrounding his IPL future as neither the management nor any of Dhoni’s close associates spoke on the matter. With mega auctions scheduled for IPL 2025, Dhoni is expected to make a decision on his cricketing future once the strategy for the next season is set.

Meanwhile, Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has revealed a conversation with Dhoni about players calling it quits. In a YouTube podcast with Shubhankar Mishra, the fast bowler said that Dhoni believes a cricketer should retire only when he himself is no longer enjoying the game.

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“You (media) guys have put a question mark on his future, the man himself says, ‘Dekha Jayega’ (let’s see),” Shami said.

“I had this conversation with Mahi Bhai, and I asked, ‘When should a player retire?’. He said, ‘Firstly, when you are bored and secondly, Jab low ki lets padne wali hai (when you realize you’re being cut from the team).”

“But the most important thing is that when you stop enjoying the game, it is a sign that your time has come. You better choose the best time to quit. Because your body starts telling you if you cannot sustain a particular format. That is the time when a player should give up,” Shami added.

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According to an article in the Times of India, Dhoni has not yet revealed anything about his future.

“Dhoni has not told anyone at CSK that he is quitting. He has told the management that he will wait for a few months before taking a final decision. He did not feel any discomfort in his walk between the wickets and that is a plus point,” the leading Indian daily reported in May, quoting a source.

According to an article in the Times of India, Dhoni has not yet revealed anything about his future.

“Dhoni has not told anyone at CSK that he is quitting. He has told the management that he will wait for a few months before taking a final decision. He did not feel any discomfort in his walk between the wickets and that is a plus point,” the leading Indian daily reported in May, quoting a source.