'You don’t want diminishing returns as an athlete': Matthew Hayden's stunning assessment of MS Dhoni

The Chennai Super Kings had a bittersweet ending to their campaign after they missed out on the qualification over RCB, a team which had a slim chance of winning. Nevertheless, Bengaluru took charge and broke through the gates to reach the playoff stage, and Chennai lost the crown they were defending this year. Another reason for the fans being upset is that the high-stakes clash could have been MS Dhoni's swansong as an active competitor. A lot of debate has taken over since then, and fans and pundits have been vehemently debating the scenario. Amid the turmoil, Aussie batting great Matthew Hayden has offered his perspective on the scenario. 

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Matthew Hayden says MS Dhoni will return for CSK, but it will be different  

One of the biggest topics that is currently going through is whether 2024 was the final season of MS Dhoni as an active competitor. He was in action against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Chinnaswamy, but his efforts couldn't help the Chennai Super Kings make their way into the playoffs. Amid the chatter, ex-Australia opener Matthew Hayden has offered his take on the scenario, saying that MS Dhoni will definitely return, but there will be a twist.

“I think this is it. I do believe that this will be the last time that Dhoni will play. Certainly, won’t be the last time that we see Dhoni. I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t mentor or be a part of the family of CSK in an official capacity.

“I suppose the thing is when you come to the end of your career, whether it is the last part of his career or not, what you don’t want to see is diminishing returns as an athlete. Firstly, as a leader, he is The Thala of the Chennai Super Kings. This is telling me that nothing here is about becoming anything else other than first place," Hayden said.

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MS Dhoni scored 25 runs off 13 balls, including a huge six and three fours. However, the Chennai Super Kings were unable to meet the stated target or score 200 or more runs, which would have secured their playoff position, but destiny had other plans.