If the fanfare and the lap of honour after CSK’s last game of the ongoing season at the MA Chidamabaram Stadium in Chennai was an indicator, the IPL might be seeing the last of Dhoni as a player.
IPL 2024: Results | Points Table
Interestingly, considering that as a strong possibility ahead of Saturday’s match, Kohli remarked: “Maybe for the last time, who knows.”
Speaking on Jio Cinema ahead of the RCB vs CSK clash in Bengaluru, which will decide the last and final team to enter the playoffs, Kohli said: “Mahi bhai and I will be playing again, maybe for the last time, who knows. It’ll be a great moment for fans. We had a great partnership for India over the years. We all know how many matches he’s finished and won the match for the team.”
When the two icons take the field on Saturday, Kohli’s RCB will be in a must-win situation considering they have two points less than Chennai’s 14 and are also behind on net run-rate, which stands at +0.528 for CSK and +0.387 for RCB.
In case of a washout or no-result, CSK will go through. But RCB will have to win by 18 runs or more if they bat first and by 11 balls or more to spare if they chase a target. However, those calculations will change in case of a rain-shortened match, which is also a possibility as per the Bengaluru weather forecast.
Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have already qualified for the playoffs, leaving just one spot vacant, which will be filled either by RCB or CSK.