Dhoni missed the entirety of IPL 2026 due to a calf injury.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has suggested that MS Dhoni is likely to take up a formal mentorship role with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for IPL 2027.
Ahead of the 2027 season, the franchise has made sweeping changes to its high-profile coaching staff. Former India pacer Zaheer Khan has been appointed as the new head coach, replacing Stephen Fleming, who stepped down following a historic 16-year tenure.
Bowling coach Eric Simons is also out of the coaching staff, with former India pacer Mohit Sharma being handed the responsibilities. CSK have parted ways with their long-serving batting coach Michael Hussey as well, but they are yet to announce a replacement for the Australian legend.
Additionally, the future of fielding coach James Foster remains uncertain as the franchise has reportedly put a decision regarding his contract extension on hold for the time being.
With the new coaching structure in place, Ashwin noted that Dhoni could transition into an off-field or advisory mentor role rather than a regular player.
The legendary wicketkeeper missed the entirety of IPL 2026 due to a calf injury and has not officially announced his retirement.
"With the new coaching staff, it'll be interesting to watch the dynamic between Dhoni, Zaheer and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Dhoni will likely be the mentor. So how Gaikwad works with Zaheer, or whether he goes to Dhoni, will be interesting to see," said Ashwin while speaking on his YouTube channel.
Fleming’s exit came on the heels of a challenging transitional phase for the franchise. Following Dhoni's step-back from captaincy, the new leadership under Ruturaj Gaikwad faced steep hurdles, resulting in consecutive bottom-tier finishes (including 8th place in the 2026 edition) and three straight years without a playoff appearance.
"Fleming seemingly modified himself to fit in with Dhoni. He made himself the perfect fingers to fit into Dhoni's gloves. So it is surprising to see CSK decide that Fleming couldn't adapt himself to a new captain after two to three years. Fleming's modus operandi is to fit in based on the needs of the team and captain," Ashwin added.
According to reports, MS Dhoni is playing a decisive role in the coaching changes at the franchise. Earlier, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan himself confirmed that Zaheer’s name for the head coach role was suggested by Dhoni.
“It was not an administrative decision. The cricket committee decided this. It was MS’s suggestion. He spoke to captain Rutu (Ruturaj Gikwad) and both had a discussion with owner Rupa (Gurunath) and thus the decision was arrived at," Viswanathan had told Cricbuzz.