Chennai, May 28:
The MS Dhoni frenzy had reached fever pitch on Wallajah Road in Chennai, with growing anticipation that the legendary player would finally take the field on May 18 in what was Chennai Super Kings’ penultimate fixture of the IPL 2026 season. It all ended in anti-climax – not only did he miss that final home game of the season, he also did not feature against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad a few days later.
Calf and hamstring issues in the initial stages of the season and a thumb injury later kept Dhoni out of the season and, for the first time in 19 years, he remained a no-show throughout the IPL. With his ageing body – he turns 45 this July – and the growing physical demands of the tournament, there is inevitably a question mark over his IPL future. Has he already played his last game in the IPL?
There was considerable build-up around the May 18 game, as it marked CSK’s final home fixture of the season. Given his earlier remark that he would end his IPL career in Chennai, speculation about a possible farewell only intensified – especially with the prospect of him returning next season seeming increasingly unlikely.
The CSK franchise, surely, does not believe so. “My understanding is that he will come back next season,” Kasi Viswanathan, CSK CEO told Cricbuzz. “We have not spoken to him about this, but we hope he will come back. We also hope he keeps his promise to the CSK fans that he will play his last IPL game in Chennai.”