IPL 2026: Star India cricketer makes HUGE statement about CSKs MS Dhoni, says might be last time…
Former CSK captain MS Dhoni could be playing in his final season as the IPL 2026 gets underway from March 28 onwards.
Published: March 13, 2026 2:04 PM IST
Will former India captain MS Dhoni be playing his final season in IPL? (Photo: IANS)The 19th season of the Indian Premier League is set to underway from March 28 onwards. One constant in these 19 seasons has been former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It is hard to imagine an IPL season without ‘Thala’ Dhoni. Apart from the two season when CSK were banned by the BCCI, Dhoni has always worn the ‘yellow jersey’ in IPL.Now ahead of the IPL 2026 season, the thoughts on everyone’s mind is whether Dhoni will be playing his final season in the T20 league. “CSK is incomplete without MS Dhoni. This season might be the last time we see him in the yellow jersey and it’s tough to imagine CSK and the IPL without him. This season, Dhoni will play an important role in bringing everyone together,” former India cricketer Irfan Pathan said on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan – Know Your Team’.“I’m not sure how many games he will play. But his presence in the dressing room will help a lot. Sanju will benefit because he will be part of the leadership group as well. Ruturaj Gaikwad is the leader. But as a group, two or three guys are being groomed for the future. That is where MS Dhoni comes in. I hope he makes a difference. Questions about his fitness, batting position, and whether he will play all games will still come up. The CSK team management will take it step by step. They will definitely look to give him a perfect farewell by lifting their sixth IPL trophy,” Dhoni’s former CSK teammate Pathan added.Dhoni has notched up 5439 runs in 278 IPL matches so far at a strike-rate of 137.45 with 24 fifties. But the former CSK skipper is also 44 years of age now. Dhoni was retained for only Rs 4 crore ahead of IPL 2026 as an ‘uncapped player’.
CSK will be boosted by the addition of T20 World Cup 2026’s ‘Player of the Tournament’ Sanju Samson, who was traded from Rajasthan Royals at a record price of Rs 18 crore ahead of IPL 2026.“Sanju Samson is a match winner in himself. He proved his doubters wrong with three back-to-back impactful knocks against West Indies, England and New Zealand in the T20 World Cup. CSK will be very happy with his form because Samson has peaked right before the start of the IPL. That is great news for their fans. Coming to Chennai, the way the wicket plays there will definitely suit his game,” former India cricketer Piyush Chawla told JioHotstar.“Opening the innings, his aggressive style will benefit CSK a lot. Last season they struggled to get quick starts. Only after Ayush Mhatre arrived did CSK start scoring runs in the Powerplay. Now, with Samson in, their opening problems will finally be solved. They need that experienced opener alongside Ayush Mhatre. Samson’s trade move to CSK is going to be a blockbuster one,” Chawla added.Chennai Super Kings will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on March 30.
Leave a Reply