As the clock ticked 6.30 PM, a padded-up MS Dhoni strolled out of the MA Chidambaram Stadium dressing room. After a bit of warm-up in the indoor arena, with no trainer by his side for a change, the 44-year-old did a few stretching exercises before waiting for around 15 minutes for his turn to bat. He batted in the nets alongside Prashant Veer for 30 minutes, facing the throwdown specialists and then the spinners. By the time the clock struck 7.30 PM, he was back in the dressing room. As Chennai Super Kings prepare to host Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final home game this season, a question that has done the rounds not just Chepauk but around the country still remains unanswered. Will Dhoni play on Monday? As the former CSK captain spent an extended period on the sidelines, first with injury and then to not take Kartik Sharma’s spot, it appeared as if Chennai had made peace with Dhoni moving on. But a comment he made in 2021 is generating renewed hope ahead of the fixture. “I have always planned my cricket. The last ODI that I played in India was in Ranchi. Hopefully, my last T20 will be in Chennai. Whether it’s next year or in five years’ time, I don’t know,” he had said. A possible final outing for Dhoni with Chennai’s play-off hopes riding on this must-win fixture has seen the demand for tickets rise again. Right through this season, barring the match against Mumbai Indians which was packed to the brim, there have been a few hundred empty seats at Chepauk. The clamour for tickets in the black market has also been dull in comparison to previous seasons. However, the story is different for Monday’s fixture with demand sky-rocketing. Dhoni has himself added to the intrigue. Having taken only throwdowns till now in the Chennai nets, he faced the spinners and tonked them over the Madras Cricket Club stands. With Jamie Overton returning home, Chennai’s batting depth has reduced and there is a scope for Dhoni to slot in. But equally pertinent is that in their last game against Lucknow Super Giants, they played just three overseas players and with Akeal Hosein unlikely to play here because of three left-handers at the top of the SRH line-up, there is a chance for the team to use South African all-rounder Dian Forrester, who has landed after a stint in the Pakistan Super League. Other matters But it’s not just about Dhoni. Should Chennai fail to make the play-offs, it would be the third successive season their involvement would end early. For the first time since his appointment as head coach in 2009, head coach Stephen Fleming has been facing heat from the fans. When Chennai were struggling for consistency three weeks ago, according to those in the know, N Srinivasan, the majority shareholder of the franchise, had expressed his displeasure to those in his close circle.Story continues below this ad Despite being ravaged by injuries, which have seen Chennai lose at least four players who would have been part of the XII, there are still questions around the franchise’s approach. Fleming, who usually fronts up to the press on match eve, chose not to turn up on Sunday and instead sent the newly-added Spencer Johnson and kept everyone guessing. The match is crucial for SRH as well. Like Chennai, which needs a win to stay in the playoff race, two points are crucial for them too. With 14 points and two games to play, winning both would see them through. But in case they end on 16, there could be trouble with most of the teams still in the hunt. For Chennai, their previous outing against Hyderabad could come back to bite them. From a position of strength, they ended up losing with Fleming ruing that result.Story continues below this ad Adding to the drama is a legal battle between the two franchises. Until recently, both operated just a stone’s throw away from each other with the Marina beach overlooking from one side. They have largely remained friendly foes. But just days before the season commenced, SRH owners Sun TV Network filed a copyright infringement suit in the Madras High Court against CSK for using songs, dialogues and background tracks from Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer, Jailer 2, and Coolie in their promotional content on its social media platforms. It had also demanded submission of accounts from CSK regarding the money earned through such unauthorised use. This off-field conflict hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Chennai faithful, who seem to think a new rivalry is developing.
Will MS Dhoni finally play in CSK’s last home match of the season?
