Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has made a shocking claim regarding former Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni’s retirement in IPL 2026.
Dhoni has been a pivotal figure for CSK over the years and is practically the face of the franchise. 44 now, he has not played any of CSK’s 10 matches in IPL 2026 because of his recuperation from a calf strain.
In his absence, CSK have had a mixed bag of a season. They started slow, but have picked up steam now. With 5 wins and 5 losses each from 10 matches, the five-time champions are still in the race for the playoffs.
Key Points
- Mohammad Kaif claimed MS Dhoni could retire from the IPL after CSK’s home game on May 18 in Chennai.
- Dhoni has not played a single match in IPL 2026 due to a calf strain injury.
- The former CSK captain has previously spoken about wanting to play his final IPL game in Chennai.
- Chennai Super Kings are still alive in the IPL 2026 playoff race despite an inconsistent season.
CSK beat DC on Tuesday
On Tuesday, May 5, CSK managed to beat Delhi Capitals in the latter’s own home turf – the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. CSK’s spinners made full use of the friendly conditions on offer, and with a little help, had DC at 69/5 just beyond the halfway mark.
Twice in two home games, the Capitals were forced to bring in a batter as an Impact Player despite batting first. Sameer Rizvi was brought in from outside the XI and made an unbeaten 40 to push DC to 156.
Despite CSK’s slow start, the target never felt like a real challenge. Sanju Samson made up for the slow start by choosing the right moment to attack and made an unbeaten 87. Kartik Sharma followed up his fifty from the last match with an unbeaten 41 to give CSK their fifth win of the season.
“MS Dhoni might announce his retirement on May 18” – Mohammad Kaif
Although CSK are still in the playoffs race, they are not among the likeliest teams to make it to the top four in this late stage of the tournament. Despite winning 3 of their last 4 matches, CSK are still only sixth on the points table.
Mohammad Kaif chatted to journalist Ravish Bisht in a video posted on the latter’s social media. Kaif talked about how Dhoni’s not appearing even after 10 matches could mean that he might finally be stepping away.
“CSK have already played 10 matches, but ‘Thala’ [meaning leader, a nickname for MS Dhoni] has not played. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has not played any of the matches. Now I think that maybe the one home game that CSK have got on 18 May in Chennai, could be his last match. He might play that last match and say, ‘bye bye, thank you’. As a player, he might retire himself from the IPL on that day,” he said.
MS Dhoni will play his last match on 18 May at Chennai by @MohammadKaif #ipl #dhoni pic.twitter.com/ln8DYbtJg8
— Ravish Bisht (@ravishbofficial) May 6, 2026
On 18 May, CSK will play Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai. It will be the last home game for CSK this season, but their second-last match in the league stage overall. In the past, MS Dhoni has talked about wanting to play his last IPL match in Chennai, in front of the adoring home crowd.
Also Read: MS Dhoni NOT to play the rest of IPL 2026! R Ashwin makes a massive claim
Almost every year, there is speculation over whether or not MS Dhoni will hang up his boots after the ongoing IPL season, but it has never been as strong as it has been in 2026.
CSK’s next match
CSK’s next two matches will both be against the tenth-placed Lucknow Super Giants. The two sides will play in Chennai on May 10 and then in Lucknow on May 15.
LSG are currently on a six-match losing streak. In these circumstances, CSK might fancy themselves to get 4 more points on the board and strengthen their case for the playoffs.
