Irfan Pathan backs MS Dhoni to play another season: Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is just a few weeks away. The IPL is scheduled to begin on March 28, 2026, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opening game of the tournament. All the teams are preparing for this mega event which will last for almost two months.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has already started its preparations for IPL 2026. Former captain MS Dhoni has also joined the camp and was seen doing his batting sessions. At 44 years of age, he is one of the oldest players in the IPL so far. MS Dhoni has won five IPL trophies with CSK as captain.
CSK is incomplete without MS Dhoni – Irfan Pathan
Ahead of the IPL, former CSK all-rounder Irfan Pathan has shared his views on the importance of MS Dhoni to the franchise and his role in this edition of the IPL. Speaking to GeoHotstar, Irfan said that it is difficult to imagine CSK or IPL without Dhoni.
Irfan said, “CSK is incomplete without MS Dhoni. This season will probably be the last time we see him in the yellow jersey and it is difficult to imagine CSK and IPL without him. Dhoni will play an important role in bringing everyone together this season.”
“I am not sure how many matches he (Dhoni) will play. But his presence in the dressing room will help a lot. Sanju will benefit as he will also be a part of the leadership group,” Irfan said.
Is this MS Dhoni’s last IPL season?
There are rumors that this could be Dhoni’s last season as, despite ageing, his instincts as a batsman have diminished, with T20 cricket now being played with a different form and aggression, his ability to hit the ball has slowed down a bit.
The CSK management has also given a hint by trading Sanju Samson to Rajasthan Royals while leaving Ravindra Jadeja in the trade for Sanju. This is a clear indication that Sanju Samson can do the glove work, and MS Dhoni might not be able to play all the matches as well.
Dhoni has played 278 IPL matches and scored 5,439 runs. He is among the seven players who have remained in the IPL since its inception in 2008. The others are Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma.
CSK management has changed its philosophy
The philosophy of CSK management has also changed, earlier the idea was to pick experienced players in the auction and win titles with experienced cricketers. Now, Ruturaj Gaikwad has been the captain for the last few seasons, so there has been a change in the strategy as well.
CSK spent around Rs 30 crore in buying two uncapped Indian players, Karthik Sharma and Prashant Veer, as both the cricketers were bought for a price of Rs 14.20 crore. He became the joint most expensive uncapped player in IPL history. It reflects a change in management philosophy and strategy.
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