Former CSK player Subramaniam Badrinath asserts that MS Dhoni's role in the upcoming IPL season will be determined by the team's management, despite the CEO confirming his availability.
As the Indian Premier League (IPL) approaches, fans are once again looking towards Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is set to play for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2026. The CSK CEO, Kasi Vishwanathan, has already confirmed that Dhoni will be available for the entire season. However, there remains some ambiguity about Dhoni's specific role in the playing XI, which will ultimately be decided by the team management. This creates an intriguing uncertainty regarding whether Dhoni will perform as a wicketkeeper or serve in an impact player role.
In IPL 2025, Dhoni's performance was limited yet crucial, as he scored 196 runs in 14 matches with an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17. His primary contributions came while batting lower in the order, particularly in the latter stages of matches where he was called upon to accelerate the run-scoring. With these past performances in mind, both fans and analysts are eager to see if Dhoni will take up a similar role in the upcoming season or if the team will leverage his experience differently.
The former Indian and CSK batsman Badrinath expresses firm confidence in Dhoni's importance to the team's strategy, suggesting that he is invaluable to CSK's game plans, regardless of the specific role he will play. As anticipation builds for the new IPL season, questions about Dhoni's impact in both leadership and on-field roles will be central to discussions among fans and commentators alike.
