Former India and Chennai Super Kings cricketer S Badrinath has revealed that MS Dhoni has confirmed to him that he won’t play as an impact player in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and wants to continue as a full-time wicketkeeper.
This comes after MS Dhoni missed out on the entire IPL 2026 season due to a calf injury before the tournament began and then another injury he suffered during his recovery. After yet another season in which the CSK team missed the playoffs, Dhoni's future and possible role have become important topics of discussion for CSK.
Although the seasoned wicketkeeper has stated his own stance, Badrinath stated that utilizing Dhoni sparingly could provide the five-time champions a tactical advantage due to ongoing concerns over his physical workload.
“He has personally told me that he won't play as an impact player. He sees himself as a full-time keeper, and that means he has to be on the field for the full 20 overs. So he won't play as an impact player, but I feel if he does, it'll tactically benefit CSK.
His body cannot withstand long durations, which even Fleming has said. He is only going to bat after the 16th over and keep wickets. When his participation is so low, he would be ideal as an Impact Player," Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.
Badrinath also talked about the debate on the impact player rule and the alleged effect it has had on Shivam Dube in the CSK outfit. Dube has not been used as a bowler by CSK due to the impact player rule. Badrinath rejected the suggestion that the rule itself was responsible for Dube not bowling regularly for CSK.
"Shivam Dube bowling for India but not for CSK is not because of the Impact Player rule. It has to do with the CSK management and their lack of usage of Dube with the ball. Why are they using him as an impact player? The rule cannot be blamed," Badrinath stated.
Additionally, Badrinath criticized the team's treatment of Akeal Hosein, contending that the spinner ought to be automatically selected in the starting lineup rather than being put on reserve as an impact player.
"Akeal Hosein should be a certainty in the playing 11. But CSK keeps him as an impact player, and then when they bat poorly, they end up using an extra batter as an impact player. Because of this, Akeal Hosein ends up not playing. That's just foolishness. You can't blame the rule for your own foolishness," the former CSK player said.
It remains to be seen what decision MS Dhoni takes, given that he is already 45 years old and how CSK shares their opinion on the impact player rule, as the BCCI has sought opinions to consider while discussing the future of the rule.
