Harbhajan Singh hints at MS Dhoni's 'abrupt retirement' from IPL

image-lfdvo59cMSD will likely play his last IPL season [Twitter]

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has recently speculated about the potential retirement of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni the Indian Premier League (IPL), after the current season. The Indian veteran, who is considered among the sharpest leaders the sport has seen, has led CSK to four IPL titles.

The off-spinner remarked that if Dhoni decides to bid farewell to the sport, he will do so abruptly and without prior warning.

"See, he is MS Dhoni. Whatever he does, it will be very different. If he is going to leave, he will do it very suddenly. We saw how he left India's Test captaincy in the same fashion,” Harbhajan said on Sports Yaari YouTube channel.

The former CSK spinner also revealed that the 41-year old wicketkeeper has always wanted to end his career in front of the 'Yellow Army' – the loyal and passionate fan base of the team. The offie noted that the CSK fans hold a special place in Dhoni's heart, and he wants to retire in front of them, which is a testament to his deep appreciation and respect for their unwavering support.

The legendary bowler further stated that Dhoni has been rigorously preparing for the upcoming 2023 IPL, as is evident from the impressive size of his biceps, which belies his age of 41 years. He added that the former Indian captain arrived in Chennai well before the start of the season, which augurs well for CSK.

"MS Dhoni has worked very hard ahead of the IPL, you can see that from the size of his biceps. It doesn't look like he is 41 years old. He reached Chennai quite early, which is a very good sign for CSK,” the erstwhile cricketer concluded.

Moreover, Harbhajan also revealed that the explosive batsman spends approximately two hours at the nets, only leaving when his back begins to ache.

The opening match of the 2023 IPL is slated to take place on March 31, where CSK is set to compete against the defending champions, Gujarat Titans.