Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has slammed the “condescension” surrounding MS Dhoni’s massive fandom and questioned how Chennai Super Kings have handled the uncertainty over his availability in IPL 2026.
The situation surrounding Dhoni’s role this season, including whether the Impact Player rule could be used to bring him into the XI, remains unresolved, with the veteran yet to feature in the tournament. Sidelined with a calf injury just days before the start of the season, Dhoni was initially expected to be out for two weeks. However, after three weeks of competition, his return is still unclear.
This lack of direction showed in CSK’s campaign. They lost their first three games, bounced back with back-to-back wins, but slumped again to remain in the bottom half of the table. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has come under scrutinymanaging just 82 runs in six innings as the team continues to search for consistency.
With the pressure mounting, Manjrekar defended Gaikwad and instead pointed the finger at the CSK management.
“I lay that blame at the doorstep of the owners and the people who make the big decisions. Because Gaikwad, before he became captain, was phenomenal at the top of the order,” he told Sportsstar’s Insight Edge podcast.
Manjrekar further claimed that the overwhelming attention surrounding Dhoni has only increased the pressure on the young captain.
“And then the MS Dhoni thing – whether he’s playing, whether he’s captain – they handled it very badly. And here you see the sycophancy of Indian culture that has seeped into cricket. I mean, Dhoni is not just a fan, there’s sycophancy around it,” he added.
The former India batsman also recalled the incident to highlight the intensity of Dhoni’s fandom and how it can cloud objectivity.
“There was one instance where Dhoni was trying to put the bat in the crease and it was very tight. And I said he’s obviously short and should be out. They got mad at me for saying that because it was seen as anti-Dhoni. They lost sight of the bigger picture somewhere.”
When asked if Dhoni’s return could relieve Gaikwad, Manjrekar expressed doubts about how CSK could accommodate him in the playing XI, especially given the nature of his recent performances.
“Maybe, but then you have to play Dhoni on the field. And how do you do that? More and more he’s finding it difficult to deliver. It was a bit of a joke when he was told to face three or four balls and the coverage called it ‘what an innings’. It took four balls.”
“So it’s no longer feasible and it’s never going to be a long-term solution. I can’t pretend to know how Ruturaj felt when MS was on the field but he wasn’t the captain, as opposed to not being there at all,” he said.
Currently, it is still unclear whether Dhoni is available for CSK’s next match against Mumbai Indians, though he is still traveling with the team.
“Actually no, I’m not sure,” said batting coach Michael Hussey when asked about Dhoni’s return. “He’s progressing nicely with his rehab and I’m happy with the way he’s batting.”
With Dhoni yet to feature this season, questions surrounding his role and influence continue to cast a long shadow over CSK’s campaign.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
20 Apr 2026 20:40 IST
