'Been Hearing For The Last 2-3 Years..': Rohit Sharma Reckons MS Dhoni Can Continue To Play After IPL 2023

Several reports have claimed that this could be MS Dhoni's last IPL but no confirmation has come from the franchise or the man himself.

MI and CSK will meet for the first time this season on April 8 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

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The sixteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to get underway on March 31 with the Gujarat Titans set to lock horns with the Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The T20 fever is gradually taking over the country and even the players have joined their respective franchises ahead of the start of the season.

India captain Rohit Sharma has also donned the hats of the Mumbai Indians' skipper and addressed a press conference ahead of their first match of the competition on April 2. When quizzed on the possibility of this year being Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni's last year in the IPL, Rohit did not shy away from expressing his views.

He underlined that such speculations are being made since the last couple of years but Dhoni has continued to play. There is no reason why he can't continue in the coming seasons.

"I've been hearing for the last 2-3 years that this is going to be MS Dhoni's last season. I think he is fit enough to play a few more seasons," Rohit said in MI's pre-season press conference.

Despite having announced his retirement from international cricket in 2020, there hasn't been a dip in his fan following as he continues to lead CSK in the IPL. Last year the franchise had hinted at Ravindra Jadeja being his successor as a captain and even announced the all-rounder as the captain, however, with results not going their way and Jadeja's form also getting affected, the left-handed cricketer once again handed back the leadership responsibilities to Dhoni.

This year Dhoni remains the captain but it would be interesting to see if the franchise has a succession plan in place for the man who has led them to four IPL titles already.

Both Dhoni and Rohit will have a job at their hands this season as they look to have a much better season after finishing second last and last on the league table last year despite being two of the most successful sides in the tournament.