‘MS Dhoni not retiring, will play IPL 2026 season’:Chennai Super Kings CEO confirms Thala will be retained ahead of IPL auction

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan has clarified that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will play in IPL 2026. He stated that Dhoni currently has no plans for retirement. During a conversation with his grandson Noah in a magazine, Viswanathan said, “Dhoni is not retiring for this IPL. I will also talk to him about this.” Under Dhoni’s captaincy, Chennai Super Kings won the IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023. However, CSK’s performance in the IPL 2025 season was weak. The team won only four out of 14 matches and finished at the bottom of the points table for the first time. I still have 4-5 months – Dhoni
Recently, Dhoni also spoke about his future at an event, saying- “I still have 4-5 months to think. I am not saying that I have stopped, nor am I saying that I am making a comeback. I have enough time. So, it would be better to make a decision after thinking. Every year, 15% more effort has to be put in to keep the body fit, because this is top-level professional cricket.” Was the oldest player in IPL 2025
Dhoni is 44 years old. In IPL 2025, he was the oldest player. After Ruturaj Gaikwad got injured, he had to captain Chennai midway through the season. He led the team to 3 wins out of 4. As a batsman, he scored 196 runs in 13 innings, and his best score was 30. The only captain to win 100 matches in IPL
Dhoni is the only captain to win 100 matches in the IPL. He has captained the most matches in IPL, 235. Rohit Sharma is second on this list, having captained in 158 matches. Dhoni last led CSK to a championship in 2023. Under his captaincy, the team has won 136 matches, while losing 97. Most matches in IPL by Dhoni
Among players with the most matches in IPL, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in the top position. He has played 278 matches so far. He has led Chennai Super Kings to five titles. He has scored 5439 runs at an average of 38.30. During this period, Dhoni has also scored 24 half-centuries. In wicketkeeping, he has also made 47 stumpings and taken 154 catches.