Former Team India captain MS Dhoni arrived in Chennai on Saturday, February 28, ahead of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The experienced wicketkeeper arrived in the city, and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will begin their pre-season camp on March 1 for the upcoming marquee tournament.
Dhoni is ready to play one more season for Chennai Super Kings. On Instagram, the franchise shared a video of his arrival in Chennai. The 44-year-old was seen giving an autograph to a fan before exiting the airport amid tight security as a large crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of the star cricketer.
MS Dhoni to be part of CSK’s pre-season camp for IPL 2026
Chennai Super Kings will begin their preparations for the upcoming IPL season from Sunday, March 1, reports Cricbuzz. The five-time IPL champions will be trying hard to make a comeback after finishing bottom of the table last year.
The franchise confirmed that a training camp will begin, with all Indian players expected to report. CSK CEO Kasi Vishwanathan confirmed that MS Dhoni will also be a part of the camp.
“Yes, I can confirm that our camp will start tomorrow and MS Dhoni will also be a part of it. We are hoping that everyone will be here by Sunday,” Kasi Vishwanathan told Cricbuzz on Saturday (February 28).
CSK to start pre-season camp with only Indian players
15 Indian players will participate in the Chennai Super Kings preparation camp at the franchise’s high-performance center in Chennai. The camp will start with only domestic players, as many members of the team are still involved in other tournaments.
Sanju Samson and Shivam Dubey, who are currently playing in the T20 World Cup, will join the camp after the tournament ends on March 7. Shreyas Gopal, who recently featured in the Ranji Trophy final for Karnataka, will also report at a later stage.
Assistant coaches Sridharan Sriram and Rajeev Kumar will oversee the camp. Some foreign players and coaching staff members are expected to arrive later, but their schedules remain uncertain.
The ongoing war in the Middle East has cast doubt on the travel plans of foreign players. His arrival will depend on how the situation pans out, and the franchise is still waiting for clarity on the exact schedule of the season.
MS Dhoni retained for ₹4 crore ahead of IPL 2026 auction
Chennai Super Kings retained MS Dhoni ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 auction. The franchise had retained Dhoni for ₹4 crore under the uncapped player category ahead of the IPL 2025 season. He also returned as captain in the absence of Ruturaj Gaikwad.
However, the Chennai-based franchise faced a tough season last year. Dhoni led the team for most of the campaign, but the five-time champions finished bottom of the table. They managed only four wins from 14 matches throughout the season.
Dhoni struggled to make an impact with the bat as well. He scored 196 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.50 and strike rate of 135.17. His highest score was 30 not out. CSK would now like to regroup and put up a strong performance in the IPL 2026 season.
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