‘He won’t play as an Impact Player’ – S Badrinath reveals MS Dhoni’s CSK role

S Badrinath, the former Chennai Super Kings star, has disclosed that MS Dhoni does not view himself as an Impact Player and has personally conveyed his preference to remain a full-time wicketkeeper.

According to Badrinath, Dhoni has made his position clear on how he wants to operate within the CSK setup. Badrinath explained that Dhoni believes his role as a full-time keeper requires him to be present on the field for the entire 20 overs, which conflicts with the Impact Player designation that allows late-innings entry.

“He has personally told me that he won’t play as an Impact Player. He sees himself as a full-time keeper, and that means he has to be on the field for the full 20 overs. So he won’t play as an Impact Player, but I feel if he does, it’ll tactically benefit CSK,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.

Dhoni’s preference as full-time keeper

Badrinath acknowledged the physical constraints that Dhoni faces and referenced comments made by former CSK head coach Stephen Fleming regarding his fitness. Badrinath explained that Dhoni’s limited participation in matches, combined with his batting position late in the innings, would make him an ideal candidate for the Impact Player role from a tactical standpoint.

“His body cannot withstand long durations, which even Fleming has said. He is only going to bat after the 16th over and keep wickets. When his participation is so less, he would be ideal as an Impact Player,” Badrinath said.

Why Impact Player role would benefit CSK?

Badrinath’s assessment suggests that despite Dhoni’s own preference, the Impact Player designation could offer tactical advantages to CSK given the constraints on his availability and participation. The former player believes that using Dhoni selectively in this capacity would allow the franchise to optimise its squad composition and match strategy.

Badrinath also criticised CSK’s management for their poor utilisation of the Impact Player rule during IPL 2026. He pointed to specific examples of how the franchise has mismanaged the rule, affecting player selection and team performance.

Badrinath highlighted the case of Shivam Dube, who bowls for India but has not been used in a bowling capacity for CSK. Badrinath argued that the issue stems not from the Impact Player rule itself but from CSK management’s lack of strategic usage of the player.

“Shivam Dube bowling for India but not for CSK is not because of the Impact Player rule. It has to do with the CSK management and their lack of usage of Dube with the ball. Why are they using him as an Impact Player? The rule cannot be blamed,” Badrinath said.

CSK’s misuse of the Impact Player rule

Badrinath also raised concerns about the treatment of West Indian all-rounder Akeal Hosein, arguing that he should be a guaranteed starter in the playing eleven rather than being relegated to the Impact Player bench. Badrinath criticised CSK’s approach to squad management in this regard.

“Akeal Hosein should be a certainty in the playing 11. But CSK keeps him as an Impact Player, and then when they bat poorly, they end up using an extra batter as an Impact Player. Because of this, Akeal Hosein ends up not playing. That’s just foolishness. You can’t blame the rule for your own foolishness,” Badrinath said.

CSK finished eighth in the IPL 2026 standings and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season, making questions about squad management and player utilisation increasingly relevant to the franchise’s future planning.