As the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) stare at elimination from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, the talk of the town is whether MS Dhoni is going to wear the yellow jersey again next season as a player. Dhoni was retained by CSK ahead of this season as an ‘uncapped player’ and was expected to groom the next batch of youngsters, but injuries kept him out of the entire season. There is just one game to go in CSK’s league campaign, and Dhoni hasn’t held a bat or donned the wicket-keeping gloves. When CSK coach Stephen Fleming was asked about Dhoni’s future, he remained coy, saying it is a call for the management to take.
Fleming and Dhoni have been two ever-present figures in the CSK dressing room. Fleming worked with Dhoni as a player in the 2008 season before taking up the coaching role. While Dhoni hasn’t been used as a player this season, Fleming said that his presence has been important for youngsters in the backroom.
“It’s a choice for the management. I know there has been a lot of talk about it. MS (Dhoni) has been around a lot this year, which is very important for the team, for young players in continuity, so he’s been a big part. He hasn’t played, but he’s still had a big influence on the team.
“There’s a lot of good things we’ve done. We’ve introduced some new players that will hopefully be generation players for CSK. But I know we are judged on results, that’s fair. So yeah, that’s a management call, not mine,” he said on the topic.
EMOTIONAL MS DHONI AT CHEPAUK pic.twitter.com/IOMQDHd3Mu
—Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 18, 2026
There has been suspense over Dhoni’s continuity as a player the entire season. While the CSK management continued to say that the wicket-keeper batsman is injured, several theories emerged, suggesting Dhoni is keeping himself on the sidelines deliberately in order to let the youngsters get more opportunities.
As news of Dhoni gearing up for the Sunrisers Hyderabad clash on Monday emerged, India legend Sunil Gavaskar said that it might not be the best idea, as CSK would want to continue giving youngsters more opportunities.
Whether Dhoni will return to play next season or not is a question that might not get answered anytime soon.
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