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Cricket Players'Dhoni is going to retire at end of the year from IPL': Hogg says 'reflexes of the 40-year-old starting to wane'
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg reckons the 2021 edition is going to be MS Dhoni's last in the IPL.
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg reckons the 2021 edition is going to be MS Dhoni's last in the IPL. Hogg's statement comes after the Chennai Super Kings captain was bowled off the bowling of Varun Chakravarthy for 1 in the game against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.
Dhoni's batting has struggled, especially in the last two editions with him scoring only 200 runs from 14 matches in the last season and managing a lowly 52 runs from 10 games this year. The current season of the IPL could be Dhoni's worst statistically and Hogg believes being 40 is starting to show on the CSK skipper.
"I think he's going to retire at the end of the year from IPL cricket. The way he got out to Chakravarthy the other day with the wrong un', there was a huge gap between bat and pad. I think the reflexes of the 40-year-old are just starting to wane. His keeping has been sensational," Hogg said on his YouTube channel.
"It's good for Indian cricket and CSK that he is still going because of his leadership out in the middle. He's keeping things calm and helped Jadeja grow as a cricketer and developing youngsters as well. Just the way that he walked off, that body language, there was a glint in the eye that said I think I've just lost that sharpness."
With Dhoni, who retired from international cricket last year, being appointed mentor of the Indian team for their campaign at the T20 World Cup starting October 17, Hogg believes it may still not be curtains for the former India captain at CSK though.
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The former Australia spinner expects Dhoni, a three-time IPL winner and only captain to win all three major ICC trophies, to take up a managerial role with the franchise and oversee proceedings along with Stephen Fleming. With a mega auction lined up next year, CSK could go in for a complete rejig and usher in a new era without Dhoni the player.
"At the age of 40 and with the role that he's got with the Indian Cricket Team going into that T20 World Cup, I think he'll move into a management role or even the head coach of CSK," Hogg added.
"Probably the management role and sit alongside Stephen Fleming and help out develop the youngsters but also create a good strategy for the new wave of CSK cricketers moving forward because you need someone of that quality around that knows Indian conditions, knows the Indian people and has a good rapport with the players."
