The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season is upon us. Hence, as expected, the speculation continues to rise whether the upcoming edition will be the last as a player for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) talisman MS Dhoni. Ever since his international retirement in 2020, every subsequent IPL season has witnessed chatter about the 44-year-old’s future. Dhoni’s returns have also started to dwindle in the IPL, and the last season saw the batter even batting as low as No.8.
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Robin Uthappa believes the IPL 2026 season will be the last for Dhoni as a player, as he will call time on his career in the T20 league. For a long time, CSK lacked a worthy wicketkeeper replacement, but before the IPL 2026 auction, the five-time champions brought in Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals.
Uthappa predicted that Dhoni would be a little hands-off in IPL 2026, saying the talisman’s absence would allow Ruturaj Gaikwad to grow into the role of a captain, without having to rely on the 2011 World Cup-winning captain.
“I think you can see Dhoni being a little more hands-off. IPL 2026 is likely to be his last year in the yellow jersey. I see him playing more of a mentor-cum-player role this year. I don’t see him batting at number seven,” Uthappa said on JioHotstar.
“I see him batting at number eight. Knowing that he is on his way out, he wants to wean himself out. I think he will do that. Only then will we see the true potential of Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain,” he added.
Dhoni’s IPL legacy is second to none. He has played 278 matches in the tournament, scoring 5439 runs, and has led CSK to five titles. Last season, Dhoni stepped in as the captain as well after Gaikwad was ruled out due to a hairline fracture. However, Dhoni failed to change the fortunes around as CSK finished at the bottom of the points table for the very first time.
Samson won’t be captain
Uthappa also predicted that CSK will stick with Gaikwad as the captain and the baton won’t be passed to Sanju Samson in his first season with the franchise.
“I don’t think CSK should hand over the leadership duties to Sanju Samson. You have to give Ruturaj Gaikwad time to settle as captain. He has been leading the team since 2024. No matter what people say, he is coming out of the shadow of MS Dhoni. You want him to come out completely and stand in his own light. You want to see what he can produce. You want him to lead the team when MS is not playing and stand on his own, without that overwhelming feeling of always being under that energy,” said Uthappa.
“Give him a few years. If it doesn’t work, you always have Sanju Samson in the team to handle the captaincy duties,” he added.
The IPL 2026 season will begin on March 28. CSK will play their first match on March 30 against the inaugural champions, the Rajasthan Royals, at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
