Will MS Dhoni play in IPL 2026? CSK captain drops a massive hint after last match of IPL 2025

MS Dhoni led CSK in IPL 2025 after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out due to injury.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ended their journey in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Sunday, May 25, with the clash against Gujarat Titans (GT). The GT vs CSK clash took place at the Narendra Modi International Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. CSK outplayed GT by a huge margin of 83 runs in the match.

After the victory, CSK skipper MS Dhoni shed light on his return to the tournament in the next edition of the IPL in 2026. Notably, Dhoni took the leadership of the side midway in IPL 2025 following skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s ouster due to an elbow injury.

However, he couldn’t drive the team to the playoffs. The Men in Yellow had a horrible season as they finished last in the league stage for the first time in tournament’s history. They managed to win four games and lost 10 matches out of 14 encounters. However, they ended the tournament on a winning note with a huge victory against GT.

I have 4-5 months to decide: MS Dhoni on IPL comeback

During the post-match presentation of GT vs CSK clash, Dhoni opened up on his future in the IPL. Dhoni said he will take a decision after a few months if he is willing to return to the IPL next year. Interestingly, he did not confirm his retirement, nor did he confirm his return next season.

“It’s good. I won’t say it was housefull today. We didn’t have a good season, it was one of those perfect performances. We haven’t caught very well, but the catching was good today. It depends. I have 4-5 months to decide, there’s no hurry. Need to keep the body fit. You have to be at your best,” he said.

“If cricketers start retiring for their performance, some of them will retire at 22. Will go back to Ranchi, enjoy a few back rides. I am not saying I am done, not saying I am coming back. I have the luxury of timing. Will think about it and then decide,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dhoni also struggled with the bat in IPL 2025. He scored 196 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 135.17. He scored a top knock of an unbeaten 30 runs and also struggled to finish games on several occasions. Dhoni was retained by CSK ahead of IPL 2025 as an uncapped player at INR 4 crores for the season.

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