Reports: MS Dhoni available for IPL 2026, unlikely to play all matches for CSK

The talks about veteran cricketer MS Dhoni’s availability for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season have resurfaced once again, along with speculation over the number of matches the wicketkeeper-batter will play for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Dhoni will turn 45 later this year.

Earlier, CSK acquired the services of Sanju Samson through a trade from Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 18 crore. This move has sparked discussions that Dhoni might have a reduced role and may not feature in every league game during IPL 2026.

“We can confirm that he is coming to Chennai and has confirmed his availability for the season. Whether he will play all the games or not is something we cannot say at the moment,” a senior CSK source said as quoted by India Today.

In any case, with the Impact Player rule in place, Dhoni the batter has not been required extensively over the past two editions. His role has largely been situational, often limited to late-order cameos. Dhoni, a five-time IPL winner with CSK, retired from international cricket in August 2020.

Earlier, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan shed light on Dhoni’s playing future ahead of the upcoming IPL season. Dhoni has been part of the franchise since the inception of the IPL in 2008. He also represented the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPSG) for two seasons when CSK were banned from the league in 2016 and 2017.

“He will play, he will play,” Viswanathan said as quoted by NDTV Sports.

Amid ongoing discussions about his playing future, Dhoni recently ruled out the possibility of stepping into the commentary box. He described the popular post-retirement role as a challenging balancing act heavily driven by statistics, admitting that he finds it difficult to memorise and keep track of extensive data.

“Commentary is very difficult. I feel there is a very fine line between describing the game and in that process getting into a zone where you start criticising individuals who are playing the game. It’s a very thin line. Often, you don’t even feel that what you are doing is may be borderline wrong. You would always like to be on the other side where you are describing the game. If you feel something is wrong you say it out,” said Dhoni in a YouTube interaction with Jatin Sapru.