Former India fast bowler Irfan Pathan made a strong statement regarding the expected return of legendary wicketkeeper batter MS Dhoni. Ahead of the IPL clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI), Pathan advised against dropping a young Indian player to accommodate the veteran.
Chennai Super Kings will take on Mumbai Indians in Match 33 of the ongoing tournament at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, April 23. The five-time IPL champions will need to adjust their combination after top-order batter Ayush Mhatre was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury.
MS Dhoni Set for Possible IPL 2026 Return After Injury Layoff
MS Dhoni is close to making a return in IPL 2026 after missing the early phase due to a calf injury. The veteran wicketkeeper has rejoined the Chennai Super Kings squad in Mumbai and has been actively training, including wicketkeeping drills and batting sessions during recent practice.
Dhoni’s last appearance came in the final league match of IPL 2025 against Gujarat Titans (GT). His return could lift team morale, especially as the Super Kings are at eighth place in the table. Injuries to Khaleel Ahmed and Ayush Mhatre have disrupted their balance and forced the management to rethink combinations.
If Dhoni is declared fully fit, the team will face a difficult selection decision. Bringing him back into the playing XI could mean leaving out a young player, creating a major dilemma for the management ahead of must win match in the tournament.
Irfan Pathan Urges CSK To Drop Matthew Short For MS Dhoni
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Irfan Pathan addressed the selection dilemma. He suggested that domestic batter Urvil Patel should replace the injured Ayush Mhatre. Pathan also insisted that MS Dhoni should come into the playing XI in place of Australian all-rounder Matthew Short.
“He (Dhoni) will perhaps play in place of Matthew Short, but if he comes in place of an Indian player, I might not agree with that because you want the Indian players to play. You would want Urvil Patel to come in for Ayush Mhatre. Urvil Patel bats with high intent and has a strike rate of over 200 in domestic cricket,” Pathan said.
“You want to see him play, and a lot of fans want to see MS Dhoni play as well. But if he comes in for an Indian player, then probably not.”
Short struggled across his two appearances, scoring just 36 runs at a strike rate of 97.29. Dropping the overseas batter appears to be the most logical option to accommodate the returning veteran.
Irfan Pathan Reveals Preferred Playing XII Against Mumbai Indians
Irfan Pathan revealed his preferred playing XII for the upcoming clash. He suggested bringing in uncapped seam-bowling all-rounder Ramakrishna Ghosh while retaining the core group from the previous match and managing the balance between domestic and overseas players.
The former all-rounder also included left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary in his lineup, although he may miss the match due to his mother’s recent demise.
Irfan’s CSK XII: Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni/Matthew Short, Anshul Kamboj/ Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Urvil Patel.
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