File photo of MS Dhoni.© BCCI
In the Indian Premier League 2026, MS Dhoni will once again be seen in the yellow jersey, playing for Chennai Super Kings. The 44-year-old is at the fag end of his career but continues to provide his services to the five-time champions. Ahead of the 2025 season, the wicketkeeper-batter was retained by the franchise as an uncapped player for Rs 4 crore. However, Dhoni’s contribution in the cricket field was extremely limited. Coming lower down the batting order, Dhoni batted in the final few overs for CSK.
Former CSK player Subramaniam Badrinath, who has also played 10 games for India, has questioned the contribution of an ageing Dhoni.
“It may be exciting to see MS Dhoni come into bat in the 18th or 19th over to smash sixes. But from a cricketing point of view, does he still have the ability to play every match? Or should he play as an Impact player? It is worth considering for CSK since they have so many batters and wicketkeepers. Also, as important as his presence in the field may be, will MS Dhoni give his inputs to Ruturaj Gaikwad? Is he the type of character? Or will Ruturaj Gaikwad ask and be open to Dhoni’s suggestions?” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel, as quoted by Sportskeeda.
Dhoni is practising hard ahead of the tournament. He had a poor season last year, batting at the eighth position and not being impactful at the end. The player scored 196 runs in 14 matches at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17.
“Dhoni is a man of few words. Also, let’s not forget Sanju Samson is a senior pro and has captained RR. So he will also have presence. Especially considering last season, it is worth pondering if MS Dhoni still has huge value. But once Dhoni has given his availability for CSK, I think he must be on the field,” he added.
Notably, CSK traded Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals in exchange of Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja before the auction last year.
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