“Say you’re not able to do it and walk away” - Former Indian cricketer on MS Dhoni

Former Indian cricketer and 1983 World Cup-winning player Kris Srikkanth has opened up on MS Dhoni’s struggles in the ongoing IPL 2025 season. Notably, CSK finished with the wooden spoon under Dhoni’s captaincy in IPL 2025, the first for the franchise in the league’s history.

Dhoni, who will turn 44 in July this year, was replaced by Ruturaj Gaikwad as the CSK captain mid-way through the season. Though there were expectations of CSK qualifying for playoffs under MS Dhoni, they couldn’t create an impact despite making a lot of changes to their squad.

Srikkanth stated that Dhoni’s reflexes have gone down, while his knees have given up. Moreover, he talked about his fitness levels coming down as he is no longer meeting the demands of the cash-rich league.

"Dhoni is also ageing, you can't expect too much from him. But at the same time, you can't keep coming and messing it up, if you are not able to do it, say you're not able to do it and walk away. That's a call Dhoni can only take. Whether he will continue, if he continues, then in what role: captain, wicket keeper or finisher? In all fairness, his reflexes have gone down. His knees might have given up, his fitness, reflex level everything will obviously come down. And moreover, the top order is flopping" said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.

"The problem with CSK today is that Dhoni is not able to replicate his own game. Spinners are tying him down. Once, he used to hit off spinners 10 rows into the stands. In all fairness, he is struggling," he added.

Unfortunately, Chennai Super Kings suffered a six-wicket defeat to the Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday, May 20, to end the season at the bottom-most spot in the standings. They will next take on the table-toppers Gujarat Titans, on Sunday, May 25.

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