IPL 2026: Why MS Dhoni might not feature in playing XI

Chennai Super Kings have bet on young players in this auction and the team is looking at the future after Dhoni. The team now has four wicketkeeper batsmen, including Dhoni and Samson. This can now be estimated that in his last season, Dhoni might play outside the playing 11 as just an impact player.

MS Dhoni, Indian Premier League 2026: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction concluded on Tuesday. In this auction, all teams have finalised their squads, clearly outlining their preparations for the future. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has also adopted a different approach this season, participating in the auction with a new strategy. While the Chennai team is known for including experienced players, this time they have invested in young talent. In this auction, Chennai purchased wicketkeeper-batsman Kartik Sharma for ₹14.20 crore. With this acquisition, the team now has four wicketkeeper-batsmen, including Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The question now arises: will Dhoni play only as an impact player in his final IPL season, being excluded from the playing XI?

Dhoni's Knee Troubles

According to former Chennai Super Kings player Robin Uthappa, this will be Dhoni's final IPL season. For the past two seasons, the 44-year-old Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been playing with a knee problem. He has been seen in pain on several occasions. Dhoni often came in to bat only in the last 1-2 overs. At times, he even batted at number 8. During batting and keeping, he frequently appeared troubled by his knee.

Having Four Wicketkeepers in the Squad is Indicative

The presence of four wicketkeeper-batsmen in the Chennai squad now suggests that Dhoni might play solely as an impact player in his final season. Last season, Chennai included wicketkeeper-batsman Urvil Patel in their squad. Subsequently, they traded wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, who has represented India at the international level, from Rajasthan Royals. Now, in this auction, they have bought wicketkeeper-batsman Kartik Sharma for ₹14.20 crore. Chennai Super Kings is looking towards the franchise's future beyond Dhoni, and it can be inferred from this that Dhoni may be seen outside the playing XI this season, featuring only as an impact player.