Game over for 'Thala'?

CHENNAI: When Chennai Super Kings take on Gujarat Titans in the final match of the season next Sunday, the general mood will be a mix of euphoria and emotion. Rumours suggest that it will be 43-year-old Dhoni's IPL swansong.

Dhoni, who relinquished captaincy last year, had to take up reigns again this time due to Ruturaj’s injury. The season proved three things.

1. Dhoni still towers in his captaincy and is in a league of his own.
2. The former Indian captain's wicket-keeping skills are unrivalled.
3. However his batting skills and the usual late cameo as a finisher ended up being sombre.

Dhoni's batting and strike rate have come under heavy criticism in many matches. In the match against Rajasthan Royals yesterday, Dhoni struggled to score runs in the final overs. Dhoni managed to score 16 runs in 17 balls. Despite hitting a six, there is criticism that Dhoni wasted an opportunity to take the team's total past 200.

Dhoni will turn 44 in July. Chennai Super Kings have failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Apart from some quick stumpings and a player-of-the-match performance against Lucknow Supergiants last month, Dhoni has not been able to do much this season. He has scored 196 runs in 13 matches, with the highest score being 30.

It remains to be seen whether Dhoni will step down at the end of the season. Dhoni has played 277 IPL matches, 257 of which were for Chennai.