Simplicity or subtlety: Is MS Dhoni making a style statement or an actual statement?

Indian cricket superstar, not only known for his stylish batting skills but also muted messages through his demeanor, has the internet in a chokehold once again.

On February 26, Dhoni landed in Chennai to join the Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) pre-season camp ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Paparazzi caught the iconic cricketer wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with Morse code. The netizens wasted no time in decoding the message, which reportedly says “One last time.”

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Now, if it were any other cricketer or celebrity, this might have only gotten the sartorial attention and appreciation for keeping it low-key yet classy. But since, we are talking about the man who decided to announce his retirement in a rather unusually cryptic way, this Morse code “One last time” may also be a message after all.

The timing of donning the t-shirt is important too. Even though Dhoni took retirement in August 2020, he has remained passionately involved in Indian cricket through IPL tournaments. Now, the fans are mulling if this t-shirt is a sign of his retirement even from the IPL – as in playing for one last time in IPL 2025.

The 2025 season of IPL kicks off on March 21 and Dhoni will once again land on the field as the captain of Chennai Super Kings. At 43 years of age, Dhoni still remains driven to play the sport, just because of his love for the game.

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In an interview in the recent past he said, “For me, my biggest motivation was that contribution to make India win. Now that I’ve retired from international cricket, I can’t say it’s the same, but for me now, it’s the love for the sport.”