Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan said the franchise is confident that MS Dhoni will be available for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The 44-year-old veteran has been a cornerstone of CSK since the inception of the league in 2008. Under his leadership, CSK won five IPL titles — in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023 — along with two T2010 and 2014 Champions League trophies in 2010.
Participating in the 2026 season will mark Dhoni’s 17th year with Chennai Super Kings and 19th overall in the IPL. The only exception was the two seasons he spent with the now defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, during CSK’s suspension along with Rajasthan Royals.
Speaking to India Today, Viswanathan said, “We are very confident that he (Mahi) will be available to play for us.”
MS DHONI A KEY MEMBER
The context surrounding this announcement is significant. CSK endured a disappointing campaign in IPL 2025, ranking 10th — at the bottom of the table — with just four wins from 14 games. During this season, Dhoni returned to the role of captain after Ruturaj Gaikwad was sidelined due to injury.
It happened too the oldest winner of the Player of the Match award in IPL history for his match-winning run against Lucknow Super Giants.
Against such a backdrop, Dhoni’s decision to continue for another season brings both stability and renewed hope to the franchise.
Of course, Dhoni’s fitness and workload management remain key factors. At this stage of his career – having retired from international cricket in 2020 but continuing to compete in the high-intensity IPL – CSK will be cautious about his fitness and on-field duties.
In 278 IPL matches, MS Dhoni has scored 5,439 runs at an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45, including 24 fifties. In the previous edition, the veteran added 161 runs and hit 13 sixes, proving that he still has the firepower for high-intensity cricket.
Dhoni is also the most successful captain in IPL history with 136 wins from 235 matches. He lost 97 games, with two of them ending in no result.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
November 7, 2025
