CSK CEO issues a clear statement on MS Dhoni’s retirement ahead of IPL 2026, ending speculation about the legendary captain’s future.
MS Dhoni Retirement Before IPL 2026? CSK CEO Finally Clears The Air | Image Source - AFP
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is all set to return to the cricket field for the upcoming 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League. Chennai Super Kings’ CEO Kasi Viswanathan, during an exclusive interview with a leading media outlet, confirmed that MS Dhoni will play in the IPL 2026.
Well, the Indian Premier League 2026 will kickstart after the completion of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. According to the schedule, IPL 2026 will start in the last week of March.
Like every few previous seasons, there was a lot of speculation regarding the participation of MS Dhoni in the league. MS Dhoni, who is now 44-years of age, has been a part of Chennai Super Kings since the inception of this cash-rich league. He is well over his prime, and according to many experts and pundits, the former captain has nothing new to offer the team.
During an interview, Viswanathan was asked if Dhoni would be turning out as a player for CSK in the upcoming season of the IPL. Responding to the same, Kasi said, “He will play, he will play.”
Chennai Super Kings have put an end to speculation surrounding the retirement of their veteran wicketkeeper-batter, who had already handed over captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of IPL 2024.
CSK endured their worst-ever season, winning just four of 14 matches and finishing last. It was also their second straight year without a playoff spot. In IPL 2025, Dhoni scored 196 runs in 13 innings, with a highest score of an unbeaten 30. He mostly batted lower down the order to give other players more time at the crease.
The franchise parted ways with Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, who were traded to the Rajasthan Royals. Meanwhile, the arrival of Sanju Samson signals that CSK are planning for the future.
In February this year, during another interaction, Kasi Viswanathan opened up about the franchise’s long-term plans, with MS Dhoni at the heart of it all.
He made it clear that Dhoni will always be associated with the franchise. According to him, Dhoni is not just a cricketer but also a massive crowd puller and a powerful brand name. His presence, he explained, helps the franchise expand and grow, even beyond cricket and into other sporting ventures.
"MSD will surely play this season and will be with CSK forever. And the very next step for us will be to invest in women’s cricket. You can be sure of it," he said, as quoted by RevSportz.
In the same interaction, he also shared why the franchise chose to back a young MS Dhoni in 2008, even though several other teams were focusing on signing some of the biggest icons in Indian cricket at the time.
"We picked MSD in the auction in 2008 and must say he will forever stay our best investment. Most other teams had an icon player. Mumbai had Sachin, Kolkata had Sourav, Bengaluru had Rahul, and so on. We did not, and we went for Dhoni, for VB Chandrasekhar had mentioned him to N. Srinivasan, saying he would make a fantastic leader. How correct he was!” Kasi Viswanathan said.
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