Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath suspects that MS Dhoni could transition into a dual role as mentor and batting coach for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2027 season.
Badrinath made this prediction on his YouTube channel, pointing to a very specific void in the newly overhauled CSK support staff.
Notably, the franchise management has appointed Zaheer Khan as the new head coach, Mohit Sharma as the bowling coach, and both Albie Morkel and Gareth Batty as assistant coaches. However, they did not name a batting coach.
Badrinath noted that CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan explicitly stated the franchise will not be hiring a dedicated batting coach for the upcoming cycle. According to him, this deliberate gap strongly implies that the franchise is preserving the dual responsibilities of mentor and batting coach for Dhoni.
"CSK have three assistant coaches, but there is no batting coach. I have a feeling MS Dhoni will become the mentor and batting coach because they have consciously refrained from picking a batting coach. The CEO also mentioned they will not hire a batting coach, so perhaps Dhoni will step into that role and the decision has been taken accordingly," Badrinath said.
Badrinath believes the new appointments in the coaching staff might only be one-year, short-term contracts because a major IPL mega-auction is scheduled just a year away.
He further cited that the immediate role of this new staff will primarily be assessing the current squad rather than implementing drastic strategic changes, as the core roster is unlikely to undergo major alterations before the auction cycle.
"I feel all of these new coaches might only have one-year contracts because the mega auction is just a year away. At this stage, it is about assessing the squad, so no matter who is brought in as coach, strategic changes will not drastically impact the players yet. It seems unlikely that the core squad will undergo major alterations either," Badrinath remarked.
Speaking of MS Dhoni, he sat out the entire IPL 2026 season due to prolonged fitness issues, chiefly a troublesome calf muscle.
Earlier this month, Dhoni confirmed that he will decide on his IPL 2027 future before December, tying his potential return to a comprehensive physical fitness assessment.
"Doc, I will have to go through the test. You will have to give me the report, and then before December, I will have to see, you know, how strong I am to maybe play one more season. And if I am not, then, you know, you will have to make sure that you do everything right with me and make sure that this old vintage vehicle is running well on the road. So all the pressure is on them," Dhoni said while speaking at a healthcare event in Bengaluru.
