There is no denying that MS Dhoni had the best chance to retire from the IPL after Chennai Super Kings lifted their fifth trophy in 2023. He chose to continue and is now facing heat for the poor performance of the franchise. Chennai missed the playoff berth last season after failing to win their last league match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, finishing fifth. Ruturaj Gaikwad was the captain in the 17th edition.

When he was ruled out midway through the ongoing edition, Dhoni returned to lead the side for the remainder of the competition. However, even hasn’t been able to stop the losing streak. Chennai are 10th in the standings with 7 defeats and 2 wins so far.

Fans and former players have started blaming the legendary leader for the team’s failure, and even his batting position has been questioned. Former CSK and India players, who played under Dhoni’s captaincy, are trying their best to defend the 43-year-old. RP Singh, who was backed by Dhoni during his international career, has put all the blame on the players.

“Credit for MS Dhoni’s five IPL trophies goes to only MS Dhoni. He knew when to introduce a particular bowler to take wickets. The batters were informed about their roles in advance. He ran the team year after year and brought the best out of the players. Dhoni can still lead CSK to success, but the players are not good,” RP Singh said.

He also revealed that Dhoni doesn’t like to prepare, and his plans and strategies were formed after coming to the middle. “Dhoni doesn’t believe in long meetings and often said that the players involved are international cricketers and they know their roles. There were no preparations in advance, and all his strategies were made in the middle of the ground,” he added.