Dhoni looks to end with a bang in IPL final

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.

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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."

Cool customer

Victory on Sunday against either Mumbai, Lucknow or Gujarat -- depending on the remaining play-offs - 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