MS Dhoni IPL 2026 News: Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra thinks that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 might be legendary wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni's last season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), given Sanju Samson's arrival as his potential successor.
Chopra believes Dhoni should retire if he's only playing as an Impact Player, citing his fitness concerns and the need to pass on responsibilities to younger players like Samson.
"You don't run the team from the dugout, it's not football. In cricket, you need to be on the field, and MS Dhoni's biggest asset is his ability to read the game better than anybody else. That clarity and conviction are what make him who he is. In any case, I feel this could be his last season," Chopra told Jio Hotstar.
"He has the heir apparent now. Sanju Samson will eventually don the gloves; it could even happen at some stage during this season. Again, conditions apply in terms of MS Dhoni's fitness and his knee. But he cannot be the Impact Player. If he is playing as an Impact Player, I think it's time for him to hang up his boots," he added.
When asked whether Dhoni is still the unofficial skipper of Chennai Super Kings on the field, Akash Chopra said, "There's a small analogy. If you want your baby to start walking, you need to hold their hand and teach them. But if you want them to run, you need to let go. If you keep holding on, they will never learn to run. From Dhoni's point of view, if somebody has been anointed as the next Captain, then he has to take a backseat, and I think he already has."
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Meanwhile, Dhoni's role will be in the spotlight when CSK start their campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.