Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has said that MS Dhoni’s influence with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) remains undiminished ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Kaif’s comments come as the franchise has officially retained Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain, but C225 continue to seek management attention, both on and off the side, after the campaign. With Gaikwad resuming the captaincy after an injury-interrupted season and the addition of Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, speculation remains about Dhoni’s exact role in the team for the upcoming season.
Kaif emphasized on his YouTube channel that Dhoni’s role goes far beyond that of a mere impact substitute.
“Dhoni is not batting anyway. He is playing to keep 20 overs and to captain 20 overs. He is playing to guide the players. He is there to guide Gaikwad. He is only playing for this, as a mentor and a captain,” he said.
“Gaikwad may be the captain on paper, but until Dhoni is on the field, things are in his hands. There is no doubt about what he will do. So I don’t think he will play as an impact player. Either he will be ruled out, but there is no chance of him being an impact player,” he added.
This claim sheds light on a special arrangement in CSK that has recently been strengthened by the franchise confirmed that Gaikwad will continue as captainand that too after pulling off one of the biggest pre-auction deals by roping in Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals in exchange for popular all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. The decision to retain Gaikwad’s title, despite Samson’s arrival as a prominent wicket-keeper batsman, suggests that the management is committed to a defined transition process, even with Dhoni overseeing it.
The discussion about Dhoni’s batting role follows the trends set in the IPL 2025 season, where the 44-year-old was often reserved for the final overs, even batting as low as number 9 on occasion. This conservative approach to batting further confirms Kaif’s view that Dhoni’s main function is to lead and keep the wicket.
Moreover, the whole debate is fueled by the fact that much of the retirement speculation surrounding CSK’s ‘Thala’ was put to rest when Dhoni was retained ahead of IPL 2026. His continued presence comes despite a disappointing end to the IPL 2025 campaign when Gaikwad was ruled out in the middle with an elbow injury. Dhoni took over the captaincy during this period but could not prevent the team from going on a forgettable run and finishing at the bottom of the table for the first time in their history.
Gaikwad’s run was cut short midway through IPL 2025 due to an elbow injury, ruling him out of the tournament. Dhoni returned as stand-in captain but the team struggled and eventually finished bottom of the table, a rare first for the five-time champions.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
November 18, 2025
