Will Mahendra Singh Dhoni change his jersey number in IPL 2026? Viral post increased suspense among fans

By Samira Vishwas On Mar 19, 2026

Before IPL 2026, there is a big confusion on social media regarding the legendary Chennai Super Kings player Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In fact, in a viral video, Dhoni’s number 7 jersey was shown being removed from the dressing room and replaced with number 8 jersey, after which a discussion started among the fans whether Dhoni is going to change his jersey number now.

On Tuesday (March 17), a video was shared on Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Facebook account with the caption, “Some numbers always stay with you… 7 will always be one of them, but today I am switching to 8, soon you will know the reason.” Just then, a round of speculation started on social media.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and number 7 has been very special. From his international debut to captaincy of Team India and success with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, this number has become his identity. Not only this, his birthday also falls on 7th July (07/07), due to which the emotional connection with this number becomes deeper. The Board of Control for Cricket in India had also retired the number 7 jersey in Dhoni’s honor in 2023. In such a situation, the fans were surprised when the number 8 jersey suddenly appeared.

Thala MS Dhoni switching from the
Jersey No. 7 to Jersey No. 8
Is it permanent or some kind of promotion or advertisement for something?
What do you think? pic.twitter.com/IgtYI0bkHr
—HolyPun (@HolyPun) March 17, 2026

However, there is no official confirmation yet that Dhoni is going to change his jersey number in IPL 2026. According to some media reports, this entire matter may be part of a promotional campaign or social media post, and not a real change.

That is, at the moment fans do not need to worry too much, because this discussion of ‘Dhoni 8’ seems to be just a rumour. Now all eyes will be on IPL 2026 starting from March 22, where once again Dhoni can be seen taking the field in his old jersey. Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings will start their campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 in Guwahati and fans will be expecting a strong performance from this team.

Chennai Super Kings squad for IPL 2026:

MS Dhoni (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brewis, Shivam Dubey, Urvil Patel, Noor Ahmed, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Khalil Ahmed, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Chaudhary, Jamie Overton, Gurjapaneet Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Akeal Hossain, Prashant Veer, Karthik Sharma (wk), Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar and Jacques Foulkes.