Hero to villain? Calls for Dhoni’s IPL retirement echo in Indian cricket circles

While there have been speculations in many previous iterations of Dhoni hanging up the proverbial boots, the former India captain has seen Chennai Super Kings through, even winning five IPL titles.

"You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

The oft-repeated line from Christopher Nolan's Batman movie seems to have come true for M S Dhoni in the IPL.

While there have been speculations in many previous iterations of Dhoni hanging up the proverbial boots, the former India captain has seen Chennai Super Kings (CSK) through, even winning five IPL titles.

However, his performance this season has left much to be desired, and there have been calls from many quarters for Dhoni to retire.

One of the voices is of former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar, who told ESPNCricinfo, "I mean, it all boils down to MS, but if I were MS, I would say enough that, okay, I've played whatever I wanted to play. I have looked after the interest of the franchise as well, if there is any, if that was the motivation. But, you know, you move on, because maybe allow that by you being there. If you're thinking that the transition will happen fast, is this never an ideal time to pick, so you might as well have peace with the fact that, okay, even if I leave now, the franchise will develop on its own. Maybe it'll take a year longer, but I'm not going to be here for the entire cycle."

Joginder Sharma, who helped India win the 2007 T20 World Cup under Dhoni's captaincy, also opined, "Considering Mahi's fitness level, he should play up to prove his fitness, but I believe it is time for him to rest."

Similarly, former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth also urged the 43-year-old to call it a day, saying "Dhoni is getting older, and while it’s understandable that his performance has declined, one can’t continue to struggle and not acknowledge it. If he feels he can’t do it anymore, it’s better to retire. The decision lies entirely with Dhoni. He needs to decide whether he will carry on and, if so, in which role – whether as captain, wicketkeeper, or finisher."

He added, "In all fairness, Dhoni’s reflexes have slowed down. His knees may not be as strong, and his overall fitness and reflexes are naturally deteriorating. Additionally, the top order isn’t performing well either. The main issue with CSK right now is that Dhoni can’t play the way he used to. Spinners are managing to contain him. He was once able to hit the spinners with ease, but now he’s clearly struggling."

Dhoni himself seems to be mulling what is next for him, given the intensity of the IPL. He said, "This IPL gets over, then I have to work for the next 6-8 months to see if my body can take this kind of pressure."

While Dhoni had established himself as a 3-4 over batter for CSK, capable of hitting big shots, in this season, he has managed just 196 runs in 13 matches, with his choice of pushing himself down the batting order -- coming in ninth at the crease on some occasions-- drawing criticism.

CSK have suffered their tenth defeat this season, equalling their worst-ever performance in 2022. They face Gujarat Titans (GT) next on May 25.