'Using parents for fake sympathy?' MS Dhoni's family at Chepauk sparks online debate after CSK fall to DC

It was another forgettable night for the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as they suffered their third consecutive loss, this time against Delhi Capitals (DC) at home. The 25-run defeat pushed them down to 8th place on the points table, leaving fans reeling from the team's poor run of form. But what made more headlines than the match itself was the presence of MS Dhoni's family at Chepauk.

Not only were Dhoni's parents in the stands¡ªa rare sight in itself¡ªbut his wife, Sakshi, and daughter, Ziva, were also present, adding emotional weight to the occasion. With the legend's retirement always a hot topic, many speculated that an announcement might follow the game. However, some fans on social media weren't pleased that the attention shifted from CSK's performance to Dhoni's family.

'Using his parents for PR?'

Every season, Dhoni¡¯s retirement becomes a talking point, and he has famously responded with a calm "Definitely not." But in IPL 2025, questions have intensified, especially with his decision to bat lower down the order¡ªeven as low as No. 9 in one game. Against DC, however, he came in earlier, walking out to bat in the 11th over and scoring a cautious 30* off 36 balls.

This only fueled more online chatter, with several netizens questioning the timing of his parents' appearance¡ªsome even calling it a PR move.

Fans react

Social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter), were flooded with reactions and memes. One user wrote, "Thala Dhoni man, chill bro¡­ You are not the reason for our loss. But why call your parents, man?"

Thala Dhoni man chill bro...

You are not the reason for our loss. Calm down. Why call your parents man. ?

¡ª RK || CSK ? (@RKkundrra) April 5, 2025

Another said, "Dhoni must retire. If he doesn¡¯t, then he¡¯s using his parents for fake sympathy after the previous loss. Another retirement gimmick for TRP."

Dhoni must retire if Dhoni doesn't retire then he is using parents for fake sympathy after previous loss and another retirement gimmick for TRP.

???? ??? ?? ????? ??? ?? ?? ???? ???? ?? ? #IPL2025

¡ª Abhishek (@AbhishekSable) April 5, 2025

A third chimed in, "So CSK called Dhoni¡¯s parents for just another retirement gimmick?"

So csk called Dhoni parents to do just another retirement gimmick.

¡ª Vineet B Vinayak (@VineetVinayak07) April 5, 2025

Is this Dhoni's last match?

Adding to the speculation, a viral video appears to show Dhoni's wife Sakshi mouthing the words ¡°his last match,¡± further fueling theories that the end of an era may be near.

It's his last match - Sakshi to Ziva ?#DhoniRetirement #Dhoni #CSKvsDC pic.twitter.com/EOnvAuibA6

¡ª Varun (@varunnn_g) April 5, 2025

One even mocked the legend saying, "Dhoni ¡¯s Father when asked about his performance tonight. "This is the first time I am watching a cricket match in stadium and realised how bad my Son was throughout his Career" (Laughs)

Dhoni ¡¯s Father when asked about his performance tonight -

¡° This is the first time I am watching a cricket match in stadium and realised how bad my Son was throughout his Career ¡± (Laughs ) ? pic.twitter.com/kNk1oILSx0

¡ª ` (@18_kohlify) April 5, 2025

Teams

Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul(w), Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma
Impact Subs: Mukesh Kumar, Karun Nair, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay.

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana
Impact Subs: Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Nathan Ellis

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