Is Chennai vs Punjab fixture MS Dhoni's last IPL match? Captain Cool answers

Former India skipper MS Dhoni left fans dumbstruck as he announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020. While fans were heartbroken as they could not see Captain Cool for a farewell match, they were equally excited as Dhoni would return to action in the IPL 2020. However, as the wicketkeeper-batsman had stayed away from competitive cricket for more than a year, the rustiness showed as he failed to make an impact like in previous seasons. 

With MS Dhoni's form wearing off and Chennai's ill fortune this season in the IPL where they have failed to qualify for the playoffs, it cast a doubt on the skipper's future in the IPL. Consequently, several speculations arose questioning if it was the last season for Dhoni in Yellow. But, when Danny Morrisson asked MS at the toss on Sunday, if it was his last match in the IPL, Thala confidently cleared the air with his answer - that there was more to come. 

'Could this be your last game?'

Chennai face Punjab in their last league game of the IPL 2020, which they play just for their pride after becoming the first team to be knocked out of the race for qualifiers. At the toss, Danny Morrison asked MS Dhoni if it was his last match in the IPL, to which the latter replied, "Definitely Not." 

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Earlier, Chennai CEO K Viswanath had also asserted that the skipper will lead the franchise in the IPL 2021 which is nearly six months away. Chennai skipper MS Dhoni has had a terrible season this year as he has only managed 199 runs at a strike rate of just 118.45 from 12 matches. ‘Captain Cool’ is also one of the undisputed legends of the Indian Premier League (IPL) competition as he has led the Chennai franchise to title glory on three occasions (2009, 2010 and 2018). Having made his tournament debut back in the inaugural edition (2008), MS Dhoni constantly delivered with the bat and was a leader for his side up until the 2019 event.

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Despite his struggles this year, the overall MS Dhoni Dream11 IPL stats is composed of some staggering numbers. The three-time IPL-winning captain has aggregated 4,631 IPL runs since the inception of the tournament and he has scored his runs at a prolific T20 average of 41.34. He has racked up 23 half-centuries in the process and his highest score remains 84* from the 2019 edition.

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