Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes MS Dhoni should retire from the IPL after the conclusion of the ongoing season. Bangar said it is very difficult to be at the top of one’s game in a competitive tournament like the IPL at the age of 43 years.

Dhoni trudged to 16 runs off 17 balls while playing against Rajasthan Royals as CSK could only post a slightly below par-score of 187 runs on the board in Delhi on Tuesday.  Furthermore, Dhoni didn’t have a great outing with the gloves behind the stumps.

In the ongoing season, Dhoni has scored 196 runs in 13 matches at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17. Many experts have also questioned Dhoni’s batting position as the veteran is coming out to bat in the lower order due to knee issues.

Sanjay Bangar said on ESPN Cricinfo, “I think at 43 it’s very tough to play in that competitive environment. When you’re 43, why this competitive environment, even if you go and play some local cricket, you will find how tough it is on the body as well. It all boils down to MS, but if I was MS, I would say ‘enough’. ‘Okay, I have played whatever I wanted to play, I have looked after the interest of the franchise’, if there’s any, if that was the motivation. But, you know, you move on.”

The former RCB coach said there is never an ideal time to choose for a player on when to call it a day.

“By you being there, if you’re thinking that the transition will happen fast, there’s never an ideal time to pick. So you might as well [make] peace with the fact that, ‘okay, even if I leave now, the franchise will develop on its own; it will take a year longer, but I’m not going to be here for the entire cycle’. That’s how I would look at MS’ position if I was in that position,” said Bangar.

CSK will play their last game of the season against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Sunday.