Would be a gift from me to the fans: Dhoni on playing next IPL season

The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League has finally come to an end as Chennai Super Kings edged past Gujarat Titans by five wickets on the final delivery to clinch their fifth title in 10 IPL finals. 

With rain playing spoilsport on Sunday, May 28th, the summit clash was forced into the reserve day, and MS Dhoni had no hesitation in opting to field first with the rain threat around. 

The defending champions were powered to 214 runs in the first innings courtesy off Sai Sudharsan's sublime 96 off 47 deliveries, studded with eight boundaries and six maximums to propel the side to a massive first-innings total. 

In reply, Chennai's run chase was halted by relentless showers and the game was reduced to 15 overs, with the visiting side needing 171 runs. While the top order contributed with cameos, the final was down to 10 off the final two deliveries, with Ravindra Jadeja on strike. 

The southpaw smashed a fuller delivery from Mohit Sharma straight down the ground and followed it up with a flick towards fine leg for a boundary to seal the game for the Super Kings. 

In the post-match presentation, Dhoni was delighted with the performance of the side in this crunch encounter and stated every trophy is indeed very special after overcoming plenty of challenges. 

"Every trophy is special, but what is special about IPL is every crunch game you need to be ready. There were lapses today, the bowling department didn't work, but it was the batting department that took the pressure off them today," he said. 

The 41-year-old is in the last phase of his career and admitted it would be the best time to hang up his boots, but with the amount of love he has received across the globe, the skipper will try his best to come back in the next edition. 

"Circumstantially, this is the best time to announce my retirement. But the amount of love I have received all over. The easy thing would be to walk away from here, but the harder thing would be working hard for nine months and trying to play another IPL. It would be a gift from me, and won't be easy on the body," Dhoni said after being asked about his retirement. 

"You do get emotional, the first game at CSK, everyone was chanting my name. My eyes were full of water, and I needed to take some time off in the dugout. I realised I need to enjoy this. I think they love me for what I am, and they love that I am so grounded, I don't try to portray something I'm not. Just keep it simple," he further added. 

The summit clash was also the final IPL game for Ambati Rayudu, and Dhoni heaped praises on his teammate for his consistent performances in the league. 

"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. 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 today, and he's also like me - not someone who uses the phone often. I hope he enjoys the next phase of his life," he concluded.