The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is just a few days away, and just like the previous few editions of the tournament, everyone is asking just one question: Will this be MS Dhoni‘s last season in the competition as a player? Ever since his international retirement in 2020, fans have been wondering when Thala would call time on his IPL career. With the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bringing in Sanju Samson on board, all the signs are leading towards the wicketkeeper-batter calling time on his career. Whether he says goodbye after the IPL 2026 season or walks into the sunset after fulfilling his contract (2027), only time will tell.
Ahead of the IPL 2026 opener, it is also being speculated that Dhoni might just bat and play as an impact player, as there is the presence of a quality wicketkeeper like Samson. However, former Indian opening batter Aakash Chopra is strictly against this notion.
Chopra believes that if Dhoni plays as an impact player, then he should definitely hang up his boots, as the former India captain has a sharp mind and can influence the game by being present on the field.
“You don’t run the team from the dugout, it’s not football. In cricket, you need to be on the field, and MS Dhoni’s biggest asset is his ability to read the game better than anybody else. That clarity and conviction are what make him who he is. In any case, I feel this could be his last season,” Chopra said on JioStar’s ‘IPL Today Live’
“He has the heir apparent now. Sanju Samson will eventually don the gloves, it could even happen at some stage during this season. Again, conditions apply in terms of MS Dhoni’s fitness and his knee. But he cannot be the Impact Player. If he is playing as an Impact Player, I think it’s time for him to hang up his boots,” he added.
Where will Dhoni bat?
Last season, there was a lot of chatter about Dhoni’s batting position, as he dropped as low as No.8 in some matches. Due to the knee not being in the optimal shape, Dhoni just came out when there were only a few deliveries remaining in the innings.
Dhoni also stepped in as the captain when Ruturaj Gaikwad got injured midway through the season due to a hairline fracture. However, he was unable to turn the team’s fortunes around, as the five-time champions finished at the bottom of the points table for the first time in 18 years.
“There’s a small analogy. If you want your baby to start walking, you need to hold their hand and teach them. But if you want them to run, you need to let go. If you keep holding on, they will never learn to run. From Dhoni’s point of view, if somebody has been anointed as the next Captain, then he has to take a backseat, and I think he already has. If you look at the auction and the way the team has been built, it is not the team MS Dhoni would have built if it were left entirely to him,” said Chopra.
“Would he go with these many youngsters in one go? This is Ruturaj Gaikwad’s team. MS Dhoni will observe things and not say much. He might offer advice here and there, but that’s where it stops. He did that well with Virat Kohli at the international level as well, allowing them to grow and prosper. And if they seek help, he is always there,” he added.
CSK will open their IPL 2026 campaign on Monday, March 30, against the Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
