MS Dhoni will feature in the 2026 Indian Premier League season for Chennai Super Kings that much is now official. CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed the news on Sunday, telling NDTV simply, “Dhoni will play.” The announcement ends any lingering speculation around the 44-year-old’s participation. Dhoni has been one of the most iconic figures in IPL history with the Yellow Brigade, guiding CSK to five titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.
A Career Built in Yellow
Dhoni has been synonymous with CSK since the IPL’s inaugural season in 2008. The only interruption came in 2016 and 2017, when the franchise was suspended following their involvement in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal. During those two seasons, Dhoni turned out for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant.
Across 272 matches for CSK, the wicketkeeper-batter has accumulated 5,314 runs at an average of 38.23. His career-best knock remains an unbeaten 84 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru during the 2019 season. He has captained the side in 244 of those appearances, registering 145 wins and 96 losses for a win percentage of 59.42.
Captaincy Transitions and a Difficult Recent Run
Ahead of IPL 2022, CSK handed the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja. The experiment was short-lived Dhoni stepped back in midway through the season after the side managed just two wins from their opening eight games. CSK ultimately missed the playoffs, finishing ninth.
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Ruturaj Gaikwad was appointed captain ahead of IPL 2024, but CSK again fell short of the playoff cut, finishing fifth with 14 points. Gaikwad continued at the helm in IPL 2025 until an injury forced him out mid-season. Dhoni took over once more, but couldn’t turn the tide CSK ended the campaign at the bottom of the table with eight points from 14 matches.
Retention, Trades, and IPL 2026 Squad Shape
Dhoni was among the CSK players retained for the upcoming season. The Jharkhand cricketer has been held at ₹4 crore and will continue to be classified as an uncapped player under existing IPL regulations.
Fellow retentions include captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, and Noor Ahmad. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran have been traded to Rajasthan Royals.
In exchange, CSK have acquired Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, bringing the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter to Chennai and ending his long association with the inaugural IPL champions.
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