MS Dhoni of Chennai Super Kings (Photo: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images) Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in on the ongoing debate over MS Dhoni’s role in Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2026 and made it clear that he is not in favor of the veteran being used as an Impact Player.With discussions mounting over whether Dhoni should feature in the playing eleven or be used as a substitute, Ashwin took a firm stand and insisted that if Dhoni is part of the team, he must feature in the playing eleven.“I don’t agree that he has to stay on the impact list. If he’s in the squad, he has to play. If he doesn’t want to, he shouldn’t play the whole season, that’s it. I don’t agree with him being an impact player,” he said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
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CSK is organizing a fan engagement event in Chepauk ahead of IPL 2026 Ashwin further emphasized that Dhoni’s presence will automatically settle any selection debate, highlighting the former CSK skipper’s faith in his own ability.“If you make a CSK XI and Dhoni is in the squad, the debate ends right there. He has to be in the eleven. If he doesn’t want to play, he would retire. He believes 100 per cent that he can play. He has been training for the last three months. He is giving him the message that I want to play, you think, say what you want. If he doesn’t want to play, your six can’t play, he can’t play. I’ll agree, but he can play a double role for Ruturaj,” he said.Ashwin also highlighted that Dhoni’s contribution goes far beyond the batting position and pointed to his tactical influence and leadership on the field, especially alongside captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.“I think Dhoni will play a key role in supporting this new bowling line-up on the field. I was there last year too. MS wants him to play the last three overs. But the top order didn’t score many times and he had to go up. This time they added performance in the top order to avoid that. Maybe this time out of 14 matches he will get to the top batsman, otherwise his role will be higher only in 3-4 matches. Set the field and give Ruturaj a hand,” he said.As CSK reshape their squad and management dynamic, Dhoni’s exact role remains a major point of debate, but Ashwin’s view is clear – if he is in the team, he should be on the field from the start.
