The final match of IPL 2023 is between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. The match was to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 28, but the game could not be played due to rain. Now the winner of IPL 2023 will be decided on the reserve day. The reserve day for this match is May 29. It is believed that this could be Dhoni's last IPL. In such a situation, the players of his team and all the fans are trying their best to give him a victorious farewell.
Wherever Dhoni played throughout the tournament, fans flocked to the stadium in Chennai jerseys to support him. In Ahmedabad too, fans had reached the stadium in large numbers and wanted to see Dhoni off with a win, but the rain dashed their hopes. Dhoni's last match of his international career due to rain turned out to be a forgettable one for all Indian fans and now after four years the same could happen with his likely last IPL match.
What happened in 2019?
Four years back the Indian team was in England and doing wonders in the ODI World Cup. Rohit and Kohli were scoring runs with the bat and Team India easily reached the semi-finals. Here he faced New Zealand. The Kiwi team batted first and scored 239 runs. The Indian bowlers, led by Bhuvneshwar, had done well and the onus was on the batsmen to take the team to the final. Even before the pair of Rohit and Rahul reached the crease, it rained and there was no play that day. In such a situation, the match reached the reserve day.
Kiwi fast bowlers were getting a lot of help in England due to rain and India's first three batsmen were dismissed after scoring just one run. Pant 32 and Karthik got out after scoring six runs. Hardik also returned to the pavilion after scoring 32 runs. After this, Dhoni made a century partnership with Ravindra Jadeja to bring Team India back into the match. Jadeja was dismissed for 77 in the 48th over, but Dhoni was playing with a half-century and India's hopes of winning remained alive. Dhoni was run out in the very next over and India's defeat was decided. Team India lost the match by 18 runs and was out of the 2019 World Cup.
IPL career can end with defeat
After India's defeat in the World Cup, Dhoni did not play any matches that year. Next year, due to the Corona epidemic, sports-related activities stopped in March, and in August, Dhoni announced his retirement amid the lockdown. In this way, it proved to be the last match of Dhoni's career. Regarding retirement from IPL, Dhoni has said that he will think about it before the IPL 2024 auction. In such a situation, there is every possibility that Dhoni may retire from IPL by the end of this year.
Even in Dhoni's last IPL match, rain has become a villain. Now the result of the match will come on Reserve Day and again Dhoni may have to announce his retirement with defeat and disappointment. Dhoni was very disappointed after being run out four years ago and looked helpless while returning. If it rains on the reserve day in Ahmedabad as well and no game is played, then Gujarat, who topped the points table, will become champions and Dhoni may again be seen helpless.
