Dhoni missed the entire IPL 2026 for Chennai Super Kings due to injuries.
While MS Dhoni has not officially confirmed his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL), his future has been the subject of heavy speculation.
Dhoni missed the entire IPL 2026 for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) due to injuries. Initially ruled out for two weeks, his recovery hit an obstacle as he re-tweaked calf muscle during a warm-up session. The 44-year-old then reportedly hurt his thumb, forcing him to miss CSK’s last home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Monday (May 18).
While the legendary wicketkeeper came to the ground at Chepauk for a photo-op, he wasn’t in attendance at the Narendra Modi Stadium during CSK’s final league stage match against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Thursday (May 21).
The five-time champions lost to GT by a heavy margin of 89 runs and were officially knocked out of the playoff contention.
After their elimination, former India opener Kris Srikkanth said CSK management should have provided more clarity regarding Dhoni.
"They kept saying he'll be ready for the next match. After that, they'll fool fans with some video of him in the nets. Then they kept saying he reinjured himself. They should first stop all this foolishness. Instead, you should have just said Dhoni is not going to play the entire season," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
"If you did that, fans would have been mentally prepared. Ruturaj Gaikwad kept saying the big man will be available next match. That's where the management and captain should have been forthright. If they just said he won't play the full season, the fans would have agreed and moved on."
"To be honest, nobody is missing Dhoni in the matches. They only ask why he's not there in the dressing room. But other than that, nobody is asking why he's not playing in the matches. The Dhoni era is over," he added.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad acknowledged that MS Dhoni's future beyond the current season remains uncertain, saying even he will find out about his predecessor’s plans next year.
Gaikwad also mentioned that Dhoni's absence was a major setback for the team, noting his ability to shift momentum in pressure situations and instill fear in the opposition during the death overs.
"(Will we see MS Dhoni next season?) Obviously, you will get to know it next year itself. Even I'll get to know it next year itself. Obviously, it's a hard, hard miss for us, definitely. He's someone who can have a fear of the opposition, especially coming in those late overs. Can really change the game, can really change the momentum just by staying at the crease. So, he's someone; definitely, we missed a lot this season,” Gaikwad said.