Regarding Dhoni’s retirement rumours, CSK coach Stephen Fleming said, “It’s not my role to comment.”

In Match 17 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lost to Delhi Capitals (DC) for the third time in a row on April 5 at their home field, Chepauk. With just two points from this defeat, CSK dropped to eighth place on the points table, while DC surged to the top with six points.

Following reports that the wicketkeeper’s parents were at the stadium to watch him play, maybe for the final time, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming was questioned about MS Dhoni‘s possible retirement during the post-match news conference. The former cricket player from New Zealand underlined, nevertheless, that he had no right to remark on such issues. He avoided speculating and stated that he likes working with the Indian legend.

“No, stopping it is not my responsibility. I don’t know. I’m still having fun working with him. He is still alive and well. These days, I never even enquire. During the press conference, Fleming stated, “You are the ones who ask.”
However, the 43-year-old and Vijay Shankar stitched an 84-run partnership after he hit 30 off 26 balls. The stand was insufficient to get the squad over the finish line, despite their best efforts.

Gaikwad calls on the group to step up.

With just one batter remaining, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad acknowledged that the club was usually behind after the powerplay and was unable to catch up. The top-order batsman thought DC bowled effectively and made good use of the circumstances. The right-hander went on to say that despite their best attempts to get better, they have not had success in recent games, citing problems with losing too many wickets.

We have been playing catch-up ever since powerplay. With just one batter remaining, we were too far behind. DC made excellent use of the circumstances and bowled really well. We were hoping for momentum even while Shivam Dube was batting, but it never materialised.

“It hasn’t gone our way in the past several games. We are making every effort to get better, but it isn’t working out as planned. Too many wickets were lost, without a doubt. Even in the bowling sector, it’s a big problem. We are losing too many wickets or conceding an additional 15 to 20 runs.

During the post-match press conference, the captain of CSK stated, “We are trying, but it’s just not happening.”

Gaikwad emphasised the necessity for a more upbeat batting strategy, believing that the bowlers were being a bit too conservative during the powerplay. He underlined that everyone had to work together and said the team appeared to be more reactive than proactive.

“I simply believe that, regardless of who is bowling on the powerplay, we are a little too cautious or worried. It goes without saying that you don’t want to lose any more wickets with the bat, but it’s all about staying optimistic. It’s about not being on the toes and being on the back foot, in my opinion. To make things happen, everyone must work together. We must force things to happen,” he continued.