Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni clarified that he needs some time to decide on his future participation in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The 43-year-old led his team to a stunning 83-run victory against the Gujarat Titans in the 67th match of IPL 2025 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 25. During the post-match ceremony, MSD gave a clear answer to Harsha Bhogle’s question, saying that he needs to evaluate his fitness levels before making a comeback in the next season in 2026.
“I have 4 to 5 Months to take a decision”: MS Dhoni About His Participation in Upcoming IPL Season.
After CSK’s last match of the current edition, Dhoni said that he would immediately return home to Ranchi and enjoy a few bike rides and then decide if he would return to IPL 2026 or not:
“No! Again I have to repeat the same answer. It all depends upon the body condition. I have 4 to 5 months to decide upon my further participation. Right now, there isn’t any hurry to decide.
So, I believe there is sufficient time to decide when I go back to Ranchi. For a long time, I haven’t been home. So, I would first like to enjoy few bike rides and then take a couple of months to decide upon my future in the tournament,” the CSK captain said.
Furthermore, MSD highlighted the importance of showing the right intent to perform well for a team, irrespective of their age:
“Not Exactly! You cannot always count on the performance. If cricketers are evaluated based on their performance, then a few of them will retire when they are 22 or 23. So, it becomes important to find out your hunger and fitness levels. Also, you need to know how much you can contribute to your team when required.
Every year, I make a return, and there is an additional 15% effort required. Most importantly, this is top-level cricket, and you need to give your best when playing professional cricket,” Dhoni added.
“I Won’t Say I’m Done Now”: MS Dhoni Adds Clarity to His Answer
When Dhoni was further asked the same question, he repeated a similar answer in another way, saying:
“Not Sure! I am not confirming that I am done as of now. At the same time, I am not confirming that I will come back next season. With an extra benefit of luxury timing, and when having a high level of luxury, then why think about now? It’s better to think about it later and make the best decision.
It is a fact to accept that we didn’t have our best season. However, we finished on a good note. I believe this was one of the finest performances in terms of the batting and bowling departments. Especially, the fielding and catching deserve special applause. This season, I don’t think we exhibited the best catching performance. But, this was one such game where the catching was perfect,” Dhoni added.
Fans’ Reaction to Dhoni’s Answer
A majority of the crowd waited at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad till the post-match presentation ceremony. This is because a maximum number of fans started to wonder if they could see MS Dhoni back in the yellow jersey.
Once the CSK captain started to speak, there were huge roars of chanting “Dhoni, Dhoni, Dhoni…”
MSD, who is the oldest player of the season, had to once again step into the captaincy role in the middle. Still, he managed to lead his team to only 3 wins and 6 defeats out of his 9 matches as captain.
As a batsman, he batted in the lower order this season and scored just 196 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17, including his best score of 30. Unlike the previous season, the former Indian captain wasn’t able to conclude his campaign with a 200+ strike rate.
Fans hope CSK to win their 6th IPL title in the next IPL season under MS Dhoni’s leadership. However, the suspense continues as the wicketkeeper batter hasn’t provided any confirmation about his return.
Final Opinion
After winning 5 championship titles, MS Dhoni handed over the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the previous IPL season. However, CSK failed to qualify for the playoffs in that season by a narrow loss to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Despite starting the IPL 2025 season on a positive note with a 4-wicket victory against the Mumbai Indians, CSK for the first time in the tournament’s history concluded at the bottom position of the points table. Dhoni, who took over the captaincy from the injured Ruturaj in the middle of the season, couldn’t turn the fortunes and rather became the first team to be eliminated from the playoffs race
