England and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Sam Curran shared an exciting glimpse into CSK’s intense preparations for their IPL 2025 opener against Mumbai Indians, revealing that MS Dhoni has been putting in extra hours, batting till late at night. CSK’s campaign kicks off on Sunday, March 23, at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, and the team is leaving no stone unturned to start strong.
Curran, making his return to the franchise after two seasons away, described a remarkable late-night training session where he found himself alongside Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, smashing balls under the floodlights.
“The other night I was batting with MS and Jadeja at 11:30 in the evening. I was thinking, where in the world would you do this? The lights were on, and we were just smacking balls everywhere,” Curran told Nasser Hussain on Sky Cricket.
The England all-rounder went on to speak about Dhoni’s enduring aura, describing how local players from the CSK camp gather around just to watch the legendary captain in action.
“You have all the local players around the group, and they just sit there and watch MS. It is just the aura of the guy. He is so easy to chat with, and I think his calmness, I guess the big moments he’s been involved in. But he never seems to panic,” Curran added, highlighting the former India skipper’s ability to remain composed in high-pressure situations — a trait that has made him one of the most revered cricketers globally.
Dhoni, now in the twilight of his IPL career, has been battling through injuries over the past few seasons. Speculation about his retirement has been swirling, fueled further by his arrival in Chennai for the upcoming season wearing a T-shirt with "one final time" written in Morse code. This subtle message has set the rumor mill ablaze, with many wondering if IPL 2025 will be his swan song.
The 42-year-old has previously mentioned that he dreams of playing his last IPL match in front of his beloved Chennai crowd. His return this season was also aided by the uncapped player rule, which allows cricketers who haven't played international matches in the past five years to be treated as uncapped — ensuring Dhoni remains eligible to continue representing CSK.
For the CSK faithful, the thought of a farewell season for their iconic captain is emotional. If this is indeed Dhoni’s final IPL, fans will hope the "Thala" of Chennai gets the glorious send-off he deserves — perhaps with another title to his name. The image of him lifting the trophy one last time at Chepauk would undoubtedly be the perfect ending to his legendary IPL journey.
