The spirit is willing but the flesh could not, but still the man who has made India proud in all formats of cricket, has kept his followers in wonderland when it comes to retirement.
“It is easy to say thanks at this movement and adieu to IPL, as the moment is ripe at this minute, but I will not, and play another edition,” said the ‘Thalla,’ Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who marshalled Chennai Super Kings to the fifth win in the Indian Premier League, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in the early hours of Wednesday, (1.45 am).
But the fan force has held him back and he wants to be with team CSK.
“They (fans) have been following me wherever I have played in the country and it is their force which makes me say I will wait for another nine months when the next IPL season begins,” stated MSD after CSK’s dramatic last-ball win against defending champions Gujarat Titans in the nail-biting final, which was stretched to a three-day affair.
There was not a slight glimpse on his face saying I will call it a day when he said, "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 to work hard for nine months and try to play another IPL," emphasised Captain Cool as he is known.
He has been the cynosure of all eyes ever since the Indian Premier League began this year and in a fitting end to the finale, the captain finished with a record-leveling fifth trophy.
His fans from across the country went to the venues in large numbers to cheer for him, chanting his name ‘D h o n i D h o n i’ wherever CSK have played this season.
"It would be a gift from me, won't be easy on the body. You do get emotional, the first game at CSK everyone was chanting my name. My eyes were full of water, 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, I don't try to portray something I'm not. Just keep it simple," Dhoni said.
Talking about the finale, the Thalla said, "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.
It has been overwhelming to see the fans braving everything to have a glimpse of the King. The fans have faced many hurdles and even nature has not spared them but it is not to be for the fans as they withstood all forces only to see MSD on the field, as it was seen in the final in Ahmedabad.
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