Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden believes the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be special because of the finish of the legacy of talismanic wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni.
With IPL 2023 coming back to home and away format, it gives a chance for Chennai Super Kings to play their home matches this year at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in what could be Dhoni's final campaign as a player in the IPL.
"2023, here we go again! The IPL is on and it's also in every venue across India post-Covid. It's going to be remarkable, just the amount of supporters, the Yellow Army that is going to pile into the Chepauk Stadium. And they are going to be the same side that's going to be very difficult to beat at home as well."
"Their record at home, at Chepauk, is undeniably the best in the IPL. That venue is a fortress. And they are going to have M.S Dhoni as their captain, arguably for the last time and that's going to be one of those moments that no one is ever going to forget."
"He has especially stayed on in the IPL to say goodbye to his fans at Chepauk and they are going to turn up like you just couldn't imagine," Hayden was quoted as saying by Star Sports, the official television broadcast of IPL 2023.
With the 16th edition of the IPL set to start eron March 31, Hayden also expressed his views on how Chennai, the four-time IPL champions, would be thinking to give Dhoni a fitting send-off.
"See CSK, they notoriously find a way to do things unique and special. Take their hiatus out of their IPL, it was unfortunate the two years they weren't playing, and they came back the year after that to win the IPL, it was most unexpected. And they have a way!"
"MS Dhoni has a way of revitalising, revamping, making it just a completely different look and feel to the side, even though it's had this great tag of having complete trust in few players and having retained most of their players."
"So for MS Dhoni, I think this year in particular, it's going to be a year celebrated like no other. It's the finish I believe of the legacy of MS Dhoni and he will want to go out in style with his fans, who'd want him to go out in style as well."
