MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI/IPL) NEW DELHI: Where will MS Dhoni feature in the Chennai Super Kings playing XI? Will he come in as an Impact Player? Will he bat in his usual No.7 or No.8 position? How many games will he play this season? And will IPL 2026 be his last? These questions are circulating at the moment.Five-time IPL champions CSK will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on March 30.At the age of 44, with recurring knee problems and batsman Sanju Samson in the mix, are these signs that it might be time for Dhoni to call it a day?In fact, Dhoni himself admitted during the CSK event that his fitness is not what it used to be and said that he is “on the way down”.
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CSK is organizing a fan engagement event in Chepauk ahead of IPL 2026Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra believes the time has come for the veteran to retire.“You don’t run a team from the trenches, that’s not football. In cricket you have to be on the field and MS Dhoni’s greatest asset is his ability to read the game better than anyone else. That clarity and conviction make him who he is. In any case, I feel this could be his last season. He has an heir apparent at some stage even now. In gloves, it can happen during this season as well. as far as MS Dhoni’s fitness and his knee, but he can’t be Impact Player, if he plays as an Impact Player, I think it’s time for him to hang up his boots,” Chopra said on JioStar’s ‘IPL Today Live’.Dhoni was the cornerstone of CSK and led the team to five IPL titles. He played 278 matches, scoring 5439 runs at an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45, including 24 fifties.Known for the ‘Daddy’s Army’ brand in the past, CSK has started transitioning to a younger team. The likes of Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel were part of the setup last season. Nathan Ellis, Sarfaraz Khan, Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer have joined the franchise this year.“There is a little analogy. If you want your child to walk, you have to hold their hand and teach them. But if you want them to run, you have to let them go. If you hold on, they will never learn to run. From Dhoni’s point of view, if someone has been anointed as the next captain, then they have to take a back seat, and I think he has already done that,” Chopra
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Which aspect of MS Dhoni’s mentorship is most important to young players?
“If you look at the auction and the way the team was built, it’s not the team that MS Dhoni would build if it was entirely up to him. Would he go with so many youngsters at once? This is Ruturaj Gaikwad’s team. MS Dhoni will observe things and not say much. He can offer advice here and there, but that’s where it ends. And that’s what Kohli does at international level. help, he’s always there,” he signed off.Chennai Super Kings Complete Squad for IPL 2026: Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Noor Ahmad, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Ayush Urvis, Sarwald (75 lakh), Kartik Sharma (Rs 14.20 Cr), Prashant Veer (Rs 14.20 Cr). Cr), Matthew Short (Rs 1.50 Cr), Aman Khan (Rs 40 lakh), Zak Foulkes (Rs 75 lakh), Akeal Hosein (Rs 2 Cr), Rahul Chahar (INR 5.2 Cr), Matt Henry (Rs 2 Cr).
