MS Dhoni with Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja© BCCI/Sportzpics
As soon as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 ended in a win for Chennai Super Kings, fans’ heartbeat increased with the prospect of MS Dhoni making the big announcement over his future. The ‘Thala’ decided that he will not bid goodbye to the game yet and will train hard to play another season. In a fun yet emotional chat with Harsha Bhogle after the win over Gujarat Titans in the final, Dhoni also trolled veteran batter Ambati Rayudu, saying he will never win the ‘Fairplay award’ with him in the same team.
Before the start of the scheduled final on Sunday, Rayudu had announced that he is going to retire after the end of the final, with there being no possibility of a ‘u-turn’ this time. As CSK won the title, the veteran batter had tears in his eyes.
Dhoni, in the post-match presentation ceremony, said that Rayudu is a similar character like him who doesn’t use the phone much. But, with him in the team, the CSK skipper can never win the ‘Fairplay Award’ either.
“The special thing about Rayudu is he will always give his 100% when he is on his field. But with him in the team, I will never win the Fairplay Award. He always wants to contribute and he has been a fantastic cricketer. I’ve been playing with him for a long time, since the India A tours.
“He’s a player who can play spin and pace equally well. It is something really special. I felt he would do something really special, I’m really happy for him. This game will be one he will remember, he’s also like me – not someone who uses the phone often. What’s important is that he has had a fantastic career and I hope he enjoys the next phase of his life,” Dhoni said.
It was the 5th IPL title of MS Dhoni’s career, winning all of them with the Chennai Super Kings. But, for Rayudu, it was the 6th IPL title that saw him equal Rohit Sharma‘s record.
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