‘He doesn’t let his left hand know what his right…’: Former India’s cricketer remark on MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni still leads the IPL franchise team he joined as an icon player back in 2008. Eighteen seasons later, the experienced wicket-keeper batter keeps fans guessing about his future plans.

CSK ended their IPL 2025 season at the bottom of the points table, fueling calls for a major revamp of the franchise calls that suggest such changes won’t happen as long as Dhoni remains part of the team.

Former India spinner Murali Kartik acknowledged that MS Dhoni is loved worldwide, but emphasized that every athlete eventually has to step away. He believes it’s best to leave while people are wondering “why,” rather than “why not.”

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“As much as the world loves Dhoni and as much as certain things we don’t want to end, a day has to come when they have to go. Sometimes what happens is that you don’t want to be pushed, isn’t it? Sometimes, you don’t want even the ones who love you to actually say, ‘You have overstayed your welcome’. Even if it’s MS Dhoni or whoever, just think about it,” Kartik said in a discussion on Cricbuzz

Kartik also mentioned Virat Kohli as an example, who retired from Test cricket at 36 despite being one of the fittest players.

“Now that Virat Kohli has gone, everyone is saying, ‘you had two three years left. You are 36. You are so fit’. With Dhoni, you don’t know. I have always said this he doesn’t allow his left hand to know what his right hand is thinking. For us, it is very difficult to figure out what is going on in his mind,” he added.

Doubts have also emerged about CSK’s captaincy. Dhoni stepped in as captain after Ruturaj Gaikwad was sidelined with an injury. Many are unsure whether Dhoni will continue to lead the team next season if he plays, given that Gaikwad has yet to prove himself as a leader.

“One of the main reasons why the captaincy was handed to Ruturaj was the passing of the baton so I don’t think even if MS Dhoni comes back, with MS Dhoni you don’t know what he’s thinking, is it for the sake of the franchise or sake of whatever. No one knows. I don’t think they will take the captaincy away from Ruturaj Gaikwad and give it to Dhoni,” said Kartik.

“Those are huge shoes to fill, so you have to allow people to find their own shoes. You can’t ask everyone to go into MS Dhoni’s shoes. Everybody has to be their own person and figure out a way to learn on the job. Allow people to find their own boots and make them bigger rather than asking them to fill those boots,” he added.