Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has indicated he is not quitting while he is ahead, saying after the IPL 2021 final win over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) that he is not yet done building a legacy at his franchise. However, he did admit a lot depended on the retention policy the BCCI will implement for next year’s edition.  

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Dhoni said “Still I haven’t left behind…” when he was asked if he was proud of the legacy he has left at CSK. 

The former Indian skipper led CSK to their fourth IPL crown at the Dubai International Stadium, as the Yellow Brigade registered a thumping, 27-run victory over two-time champions Kolkata. The win also avenged CSK’s loss in the 2012 final, when a Gautam Gambhir-led KKR defeated Dhoni’s side to lift their first title. 

“Again I’ve said it before, it depends on BCCI. With two new teams coming in……we have to decide what is good for CSK,” the skipper said after his team won the fourth IPL title by beating Kolkata Knight Riders in the final.

“It’s not about me being there in top-three or four. It’s about making a strong core to ensure the franchise doesn’t suffer. The core group, we have to have a hard look to see who can contribute for the next 10 years,” he added.

Dhoni was happy that a lot of individual match-winners have got CSK to their fourth trophy.

“We had match winners coming game after game and doing really well. Every final is special, if you look at stats, we may say we’re the most consistent team to lose the final too. I feel it’s important to come back strong, especially in the knockouts,” he said.

Dhoni also made it clear that he is not very much into team meetings as the average attention span during these meetings are 20 minutes.

“Frankly no chats, we don’t talk a lot (meetings). It’s more one-on-one, our practice sessions are meeting sessions. The moment you get into a team room, it brings about different pressure. Our practice sessions have been good.”

The ‘Thala’ had a message for the CSK fans.

“I would love to thank the fans, wherever we’ve played, even when we were in South Africa, we’ve always had a good number of CSK fans. That is what you crave for. Thanks to all of them, it feels like we’re playing in Chennai. Hopefully, we’ll be back in Chennai for the fans.”

At the start, he praised KKR for their own turnaround this season, as they came back from two points in seven games to reach the final. 

“Before I start talking about CSK, need to talk about KKR. Difficult to come back and do what they have, if any team deserved to win the IPL, it’s KKR. Huge credit to the coaches, team and support staff. The break really helped them.”