IPL 2023: Dhoni looks to end with a bang in the grand finale

MS Dhoni is looking to bow out in style by winning the Indian Premier League with Chennai Super Kings for the fifth time -- unless the 41-year-old cricket superstar stuns everyone and keeps going.

On Tuesday, skipper Dhoni's tactical nous -- at times controversial -- again sealed the deal as CSK overcame the fancied Gujarat Titans by 15 runs to book a slot in Sunday's final at the world's biggest stadium in Ahmedabad.

With his finishing skills on the wane, a dodgy knee and his place in the batting order increasingly hard to justify, Dhoni has suggested on several occasions his retirement is imminent.

He again kept fans guessing, saying on Tuesday he would take until the auctions for the 2024 IPL in December to make his final decision.

"I will always be there for CSK whether in playing form or sitting somewhere," he said.

"I don't really know. But frankly, it takes a heavy toll."

Victory on Sunday would be a fitting final achievement for a player who is second only to Sachin Tendulkar when it comes to fan adulation in cricket-crazy India.

Hard-hitting and always unruffled, India's most successful skipper has many nicknames including "Captain Cool" and "Thala", which means "leader" in Tamil.

First and foremost, he is a run powerhouse and finisher par excellence, but it is Dhoni's style and humble beginnings that set him apart, and which were enough for a Bollywood biopic.

Dhoni spent his early years in a cramped one-bedroom government flat in Ranchi provided by his pump operator father's employer.

The young Dhoni was passionate about sport and honed his skills playing tennis-ball cricket and borrowing bats and other kit from friends.

On his father's insistence, he took a job at Indian Railways but the hectic routine of juggling between collecting tickets and playing cricket finally saw him break free.

In 2004, he made his India debut and in 2007, took over from Rahul Dravid as India's one-day captain, the same year leading the national side to the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

In 2008, he became Test captain and won two home series against Australia, and in 2011 famously sealed winning the 50-over World Cup in India with a sumptuous, imperious six.

Along the way -- with constant hairstyle changes, from shaggy to spiky to shaved -- numerous endorsements saw Dhoni become one of world sport's best-paid athletes, earning an estimated $31 million in 2015.

But he stunned the cricket world by quitting the five-day format in 2014 after finishing with 27 wins from 60 Tests as skipper.

He stepped down from the limited-overs captaincy in 2017 on the pretext of preparing Virat Kohli as leader, but continued to play a big part in the team's decision-making process.

• IPL 2023: Will MS Dhoni retire? Indian legend keeps fans guessing about his future