Legendary Indian captain Sourav Ganguly recently shared his opinion on CSK legend MS Dhoni retiring from IPL after the upcoming season in 2026. The five-time title-winning captain for CSK turns 45 after the end of IPL 2026.
‘When will MS Dhoni retire from IPL?’ This has been the question every season before the start of the IPL for almost half a decade. The great India captain has led CSK to many titles in the last few years. CSK last won their fifth IPL title under his captaincy in 2023, when Dhoni was 41 years old.
Dhoni led CSK in the absence of Rohit Sharma from the captaincy and Ruturaj Gaikwad last season, making him undoubtedly the oldest captain in the history of IPL. He is also the oldest captain to win the IPL title.
Sourav Ganguly did not reveal any secret on MS Dhoni’s retirement
When former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was asked about MS Dhoni’s retirement from IPL, his opinion was very simple. Sourav Ganguly made no secret about any possibility of Dhoni retiring from the competition.
However, the former Indian captain indicated that they may have talks regarding the matter in the near future. “I will tell (MS) Dhoni what to do, not the media,” Sourav Ganguly said at an event as quoted by NDTV.
MS Dhoni made his India debut under former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly; Hence, both the former cricketers share a very close bond with each other. It has been almost 7 years since MS Dhoni retired from international cricket.
Former KKR batsman believes 2026 will be MS Dhoni’s last IPL season
Former Indian player Aakash Chopra has refuted this stance of Sourav Ganguly. The competition begins on March 28, and the former star felt this could be Dhoni’s last season, as the franchise has lined up Sanju Samson as his successor.
The player felt that Dhoni could not be of much use while serving as an influential player and hence he should think about retirement. However, CSK has not indicated whether Dhoni or Samson will be used as impact players.
Chopra further claimed that this is cricket and not a game like football where one can lead from the dugout. He pointed out that MS Dhoni’s biggest ability is to understand the game better than anyone else; Therefore, his usefulness will be best seen on the field.
“That clarity and conviction is what makes him who he is. In any case, I think this could be his last season,” Chopra said.
What would be the advantage if Dhoni was used as an impact player?
Will MS Dhoni be used as an impact player? This has been the biggest question of this edition of IPL. Dhoni, despite his age, has never featured as an impact player. However, in a bid to find an experienced wicketkeeper batsman, Sanju Samson has been brought in at a huge cost to Ravindra Jadeja.
MS Dhoni’s fitness and the condition of his knee will also play a big role here. However, despite everything, he cannot be an impressive player. This is because Dhoni can be best used when he wears the gloves behind the wicket. At this age Dhoni cannot field in the outfield.
India’s T20 World Cup hero Sanju Samson cannot be seen as a big impact player as he can adapt to the field conditions if he spends some time on the field during his bowling innings.
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