Dhoni’s last IPL? Speculation increased due to Sanju Samson’s entry, know what Irfan Pathan said

New Delhi: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) could be Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s final season as a player for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). As the 2026 IPL is approaching, discussions regarding Dhoni’s retirement have intensified again. CSK has added Sanju Samson to its team from Rajasthan Royals, after which there is speculation that Dhoni will be seen less on the field of play this time and he may play the role of a mentor.

Irfan told Jio Hotstar, “CSK cannot be imagined without Dhoni. This might be the last time we see him in the yellow jersey this season. But it is difficult to imagine CSK and IPL without him.

He said, “With the start of IPL, we start seeing Dhoni playing again. It means he is fully prepared for it and he looks very fit too.” The 44-year-old player joined the CSK camp in Chennai earlier this month and is practicing with the team led by captain Rituraj Gaikwad. Pathan said Dhoni’s role could be to guide the team and groom the next generation of leaders.

He said, “Dhoni will play an important role in uniting everyone in this season. I don’t know how many matches he will play. But his presence in the dressing room will help a lot. Pathan said, “Sanju will benefit from this because he will also be a part of the leadership group. Rituraj Gaikwad is the captain. But for this, two or three players are being prepared for the future. This is where Dhoni’s role becomes important. I hope he makes some difference.”

He said, “Questions like his fitness, batting order and whether he will play all the matches will still be raised.” CSK’s team management will proceed in a phased manner. They will definitely try to give him a grand farewell by winning the sixth IPL trophy.” Dhoni has played 278 matches in the IPL so far and has scored 5,439 runs. Last season, he was seen batting only in the death overs. He then scored 196 runs in 13 innings. CSK gave Ravindra Jadeja to Rajasthan Royals and added Sanju Samson to its team in his place. Jos Buttler is also not in the Rajasthan Royals team. Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar believes that after the departure of two established batsmen, the young players of Rajasthan will now have to take the responsibility.

Bangar said, “First they let Jos Buttler go and now Sanju Samson is also not in the team. The young batsmen of the team will now have to step forward and take up the responsibility. Former India opener Abhinav Mukund said that it will be a challenge for Sunrisers Hyderabad to perform well in the initial matches and apart from this, there is doubt about the availability of its captain Pat Cummins.

He said, “Sunrisers Hyderabad will have to play some difficult matches initially. It is difficult to say whether Pat Cummins is completely available to play or not. He has not given any statement yet, so it will have to be waited because he has been an important player for the team. Sunrisers will play their first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 28. After this, they will face Kolkata Knight Riders on April 2 and Lucknow Super Giants on April 5.