Srikkanth advised Dhoni to operate strictly as a late-innings finisher and manage his workload to maximize impact.
MS Dhoni featured in the IPL 2025 season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the age of 43. He returned to the leadership role after regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out midway through the tournament due to injury.
However, Dhoni failed to turn CSK’s fortunes around as the five-time champions became the first team to be knocked out of the playoffs race and finished last in the points table for the first time ever.
After CSK’s dismal show, many experts and former cricketers felt that Dhoni won’t play the IPL again. However, their predictions proved to be wrong as the veteran wicketkeeper-batter is all set to return for the Super Kings in the 2026 season, starting March 28.
With the Impact Player rule in place, Dhoni’s batting services have not been needed extensively over the past two editions. His role with the bat has largely been limited to late-order cameos.
CSK’s squad for the 2026 season features three wicketkeeper batters. Sanju Samson has been traded from Rajasthan Royals in exchange of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. There is also Urvil Patel in the lineup, in addition to the 14.20 crore recruit, Kartik Sharma.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, former India opener Kris Srikkanth backed Dhoni to continue as CSK's first-choice wicketkeeper, emphasizing his fitness and unparalleled experience, while noting Samson could step in only if necessary.
"There should be no doubt that MS Dhoni is the keeper. It is an obvious choice. He is a naturally fit cricketer. He is still very slim, so he'll easily manage running between the wickets. At least initially, he should only keep. If he faces any knee issues, Samson can always take the gloves. But Dhoni won't come in as an Impact player," Srikkanth said.
Meanwhile, Samson will enter the 19th edition of IPL on the back of strong performances in the recently held T20 World Cup, earning him the Player-of-the-Tournament award. He finished as the competition’s third highest run-getter with 321 runs from just five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37.
The Kerala lad produced a match-winning 97* (50 balls) in the virtual quarterfinal against the West Indies, an attacking 89 (42 balls) against England in the semifinal, and another 89 (46 balls) in the final against New Zealand, powering India to a record third T20 World Cup title.
Dhoni endured a relatively quiet and challenging IPL campaign as a batter last season compared to his previous explosive standards, scoring 196 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17.
Srikkanth outlined a specialized role for Dhoni in the CSK batting order this season, advising him to operate strictly as a late-innings finisher rather than coming in early, and managing his workload to maximize impact.
"MS Dhoni still looks extremely fit. With him, you can expect two to three sixes. He will come at the end, play three overs, and smash a few sixes. That'll be his role. He won't come in the 15th or 16th over," he remarked.
Chennai Super Kings will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 in Guwahati.