After the IPL announced the fixtures for the remainder of the 2024 season on Monday, March 25th, all eyes turned to the final match as fans anticipated whether MS Dhoni could end his illustrious career by leading CSK to one last IPL title. Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris predicted Dhoni would retire a winner, boldly forecasting Chennai to reach the 2024 final.
Styris predicted that Dhoni could cap off his career with a sixth IPL championship for Chennai this year. After winning their season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22, Chennai is already being praised by many for maintaining their typical excellence in the tournament.
Even though Dhoni gave the captain’s armband to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Chennai still prevailed over Bengaluru. In an analysis on JioCinema’s IPL 2024 show, Styris explained how Dhoni and Chennai could contend at the playoffs.
“I believe, CSK have a big probability of making it to the finals again. They have a good opportunity to make it to the championship match. While it’s possible MSD could emerge victorious, it’s premature to say they will definitely win.” said Styris.
Styris also commented on CSK’s victory in the IPL opener, “Chennai made an impressive start in their first match, with all the new players making valuable contributions. This bodes well for them, as CSK’s strength has always been not depending on just a few star players.”
The former New Zealand all-rounder was part of the Chennai Super Kings squad under Dhoni’s captaincy that won the 2011 IPL title, forging a special bond with the franchise. However, IPL 2024 has brought major changes to the Chennai team, with Gaikwad taking over as captain from Dhoni.
Gaikwad sealed his first victory as captain when Chennai defeated Bangalore by six wickets. Riding this momentum, he will aim to lead Chennai to another win in their upcoming match against the Gujarat Titans on March 26.