by Opinion Express / 24 April 2023
CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said he is in the "last phase of his career", reinforcing the widespread belief that the talisman is making his final appearance in the Indian Premier League.
Dhoni's side gave the home fans at the MA Chidambaram Stadium plenty to rejoice on Friday night by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets, with New Zealand cricketer Devon Conway scoring his third half-century of this IPL season and Ravindra Jadeja claiming three crucial wickets.
Chasing 135, CSK scored the winning runs with eight balls to spare with Conway scoring an unbeaten 57-ball 77 and sharing an 87-run partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad (35) for the opening wicket.
Overcome by the huge roar and support of the crowd when he came out of the dugout after his team won the match, Dhoni said, "All said and done, it's the last phase of my career, however long I play.
"After two years, the fans have had the opportunity to come here and watch, feels good to be here. The crowd has given us a lot of love and affection," said Dhoni after the match.
CSK returned to their base after a long gap that was brought upon all teams by the COVID-19 pandemic.