Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai
Chennai Super Kings expect MS Dhoni to play the IPL for at least one more season, it is learnt. This follows N Srinivasan’s return as CSK’s chairman. RevSportz broke the story this morning.
The former BCCI and ICC president will once again helm the cricket affairs of the franchise and there’s an expectation within CSK that it will see one more season of Dhoni as a player, given the relationship between the two. All said and done, though, Dhoni has a mind of his own and he is expected to take a call closer to the next edition of the tournament.
Srinivasan is 80 years old and not in very good health. Asked if he would be taking decisions on cricket matters, a franchise insider said: “Of course. He will have the last word on all cricket matters. Our coach, Stephen Fleming, captain (Ruturaj Gaikwad) and MS will take decisions on cricket (policy) matters, and they will take those decisions to Mr Srinivasan for the final approval.”
Given Srinivasan’s age and health, Rupa Gurunath, his daughter, is expected to be more hands-on. But the chairman would attend the board meetings.
But what about Dhoni’s playing future? He returned to lead CSK midway into the 2025 IPL, after Gaikwad was ruled out due to an elbow injury. It was a fallow season for the five-time champions, as they finished at the foot of the table with just four wins from 14 matches.
During the course of the tournament, CSK started to make a switch in terms of lowering the average age of the squad. Youngsters like Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel and Dewald Brevis were their mid-season acquisitions, dropping a hint about the transition.
It gave rise to speculations about Dhoni’s playing future, after a season that saw him score just 196 runs from 13 innings at a strike-rate of 135.17. He even batted at No. 8 or 9 at times. As regards CSK, however, Dhoni is a lot more than the hard numbers.
“As long as he wants to,” Srinivasan told this correspondent a few years back, when he was asked how long would the wicketkeeper-battter continue to play. “I can play for as long as I want for CSK. That’s my franchise. Even if I’m in a wheelchair, they will drag me,” Dhoni had said ahead of the 2025 IPL. The situation hasn’t changed despite him turning 44 this July.
Before the 2025 mega auction, the IPL brought back a rule that allowed the franchises register players who retired from international cricket for five years or more as uncapped players.
Accordingly, CSK retained Dhoni for Rs 4 crore. The bond remains unshakable. Meanwhile, an overhaul in the CSK coaching staff is unlikely.
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