The long wait and endless discussions over MS Dhoni’s future in the IPL are back in the market after the auction for the next season ends on December 16. Former Indian and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batsman Robin Uthappa has now made a bold comment on MS Dhoni’s IPL future.
Uthappa believes that the upcoming IPL 2026 season is likely to be Dhoni’s last year as a player. He admitted that Dhoni is gradually getting ready to step into the role of a full-time consultant within the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp.
Is IPL 2026 MS Dhoni’s last dance?
The 44-year-old veteran is still a big presence for the five-time champions. The great wicketkeeper-batsman continues to keep wickets, step in as a finisher when needed, and remains a calm leader to everyone in the CSK camp.
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Robin Uthappa was quoted by JioHotstar as saying: “I think the writing is on the wall. This is clearly going to be MS Dhoni’s last season. No more conjecture, no more speculation whether he will play another year or not. This year, he will do well and truly well.”
Uthappa feels that the franchise is preparing for the future without Dhoni on the field, the way they have been building their team for the last few seasons. Chennai Super Kings’ focus on young players is very clear. Last season, CSK relied on youngsters like Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel and that move paid off.
Robin Uthappa says CSK is preparing for the future without MS Dhoni
And then at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi, the franchises showed complete faith in the young and uncapped Indian players. CSK surprised everyone by spending a whopping ₹28.4 crore on just two youngsters. 19-year-old all-rounder Prashant Veer and 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Karthik Sharma became the most expensive uncapped Indian players ever in the IPL auction.
In total, Chennai spent ₹41 crore to sign nine players, which clearly shows that they are building a team for the long term. Major changes also took place in the core group. Ravindra Jadeja was traded to Rajasthan Royals, while Sarfaraz Khan and Rahul Chahar were brought in.
These steps suggest a new beginning and a new direction. Uthappa believes this fits in perfectly with Dhoni’s changing role, where his experience and guidance can help shape the next generation of CSK players.
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MS Dhoni will act as mentor-cum-player in IPL 2026: Robin Uthappa
He further added, “I think when you look at the investment in youth and the kind of teams they have picked since last year, all signs point towards that. Their focus is on developing talent, uncovering talent and keeping that talent within the franchise. It is a fair decision. If you can develop another Jadeja with Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy as well as MS Dhoni’s kind of mentorship, then why not? That is the direction in which you should move forward.” Want.”
The former Indian batsman believes that Dhoni already sees himself as a mentor who also plays when needed. “We all know that if he is not playing, he will guide the team. I think this year he will work as a mentor-cum-player. He is already looking at things from that perspective, which is why they are bringing in such players,” Uthappa said.
