Chennai Super Kings are out of the IPL 2026 playoffs race. A loss by 89 runs against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Thursday meant the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side finishes on 12 points in 14 matches. With it, the chance to see MS Dhoni in CSK colors again this season ended. Dhoni was sidelined in the season due to a calf injury and then a thumb injury. He was present in the CSK dressing room in just one match and returned home before the final match. At 44, Dhoni is past his prime as a player. However, his aura still remains.
By next IPL, Dhoni will be 45. After CSK’s loss against Gujarat Titans, Ruturaj Gaikwad was asked the most important question: “Will we see MS Dhoni next year?”
“Obviously you will get to know it next year itself. Even I’ll get to know it next year itself. Obviously, it’s a hard, hard miss for us definitely. He’s someone who can, have a fear in the opposition, especially coming in those late overs. Can really change the game, can really change the momentum just by staying at the crease. So, he’s someone, definitely we missed a lot this season. But, I mean, we never know. about next season, but obviously really happy with the guys we had and, really happy with the experience they got this year,” the CSK captain replied.
Dhoni was never merely a player in Chennai. He became the identity around which the franchise evolved. Captain, finisher, talisman, symbol, over nearly two decades, he transformed into something far beyond cricketing definitions. Packed stadiums came not with the guarantee of victory, but with the hope of watching him walk out once more.
That relationship between Dhoni and Chennai has always felt unusually personal, almost inseparable. An emotional thread that refuses to break despite age, injuries and the passage of time. Even Dhoni himself reinforced that bond repeatedly over the years, insisting he would continue playing for CSK for as long as possible.
“I can play for as long as I want for CSK – That is my franchise. Even if I am in a wheelchair, they will drag me,” he had once joked.
That line perfectly captured the devotion between player and city.
Featured Video Of The Day
IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss
Topics mentioned in this article
