Back in IPL 2026, yellow returns to Dhoni’s shoulders under the Chennai sky. Though age whispers at 44, he still lines up for the team that’s lifted the trophy five times. Before 2025 kicked off, the franchise held on to him – uncapped, valued at 4 crore rupees. Yet, his moments with bat in hand stayed rare. Batting late, he stepped in only when most runs were already chased.
Once part of CSK, Subramaniam Badrinath – ten matches strong for India too – now wonders how much older Dhoni truly adds on the field.
One might get thrilled watching MS Dhoni walk out in the 18th or 19th over to hit big shots. Yet when it comes to actual gameplay, can he still handle each match fully? Perhaps a role like Impact player fits better now. This thought matters more for CSK given their deep pool of batsmen and keepers. While his on-field leadership carries weight, another question lingers – will he share key insights with Ruturaj Gaikwad? Could Ruturaj Gaekwad actually listen to Dhoni’s advice? That question came up when Badrinath spoke about it during his YouTube show, according to Sportskeeda.
Hard work fills Dhoni’s days now, practice stretching into long hours before the next tournament arrives. Last season did not go well – batting too low, stuck at number eight, failing to shift games when it mattered most. Through 14 matches, his bat found runs slowly: 196 in total, scraped together with an average just above 24. Not fast enough either, strike rate hovering near 135, far from explosive.
“Dhoni is a man of few words. Also, let’s not forget Sanju Samson is a senior pro and has captained RR. So he will also have presence. Especially considering last season, it is worth pondering if MS Dhoni still has huge value. But once Dhoni has given his availability for CSK, I think he must be on the field,” he added.
Famously, Sanju Samson moved to Rajasthan Royals when CSK sent both Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja the other way just ahead of last year’s auction.
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