Former India captain and cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding MS Dhoni’s decision to continue playing in IPL 2025, stating that the former India skipper would have only acted in the best interests of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), not for personal gains.

The 42-year-old Dhoni, who has been captaining CSK in the latter half of the season, has faced criticism over his form and leadership as the five-time champions have been knocked out of the IPL 2025 playoff race. Despite this, Gavaskar believes Dhoni’s decisions are team-first and not self-serving.

“Any player makes decisions not so much for himself, but for what is likely to be good for the team. Whatever decision MSD made about playing this season would have been based solely on what’s best for CSK,” Gavaskar told Sports Today. “Any future decision he takes will also depend entirely on what’s good for CSK not necessarily what’s good for himself.”

The debate over Dhoni’s retirement has intensified after CSK’s underwhelming performance this season. Some fans and analysts argue that Dhoni’s prolonged presence might be delaying the team’s transition and growth beyond his leadership shadow.

However, Gavaskar believes the franchise’s bigger problem lies not with Dhoni but with their auction strategy and scouting process. He pointed out that CSK may be falling behind in talent acquisition compared to other franchises.

“I’m not too sure their scouting team is as effective as those of other franchises. Scouts shouldn’t rely solely on leagues like the Jharkhand League or UP League. Success in these regional leagues doesn’t always translate to the IPL, especially against international-quality bowling,” Gavaskar said.

He emphasized the need for CSK to prioritize bowling in the upcoming seasons. “Strengthening the bowling attack is critical if your bowlers can restrict the opposition and consistently take wickets, you have a real edge,” he added.

CSK have only managed one win in the last five matches under Dhoni’s leadership. They will now face Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday (May 3), aiming to finish the season on a high despite being out of playoff contention.

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