Former India captain MS Dhoni was recently observed training at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium, indicating he is preparing for the next Indian Premier League season. The Chennai Super Kings posted the announcement on their official social media sites, igniting fan excitement ahead of the competition.
The 44-year-old Dhoni remains one of the most iconic figures in IPL history. The wicketkeeper-batter has amassed 5,439 runs at an impressive average of 38.30 in the cash-rich tournament clocking strike rate of 137.46 while playing for eight teams in the IPL so far in his career-spanning 278 games. The nature of his role has evolved over time but his importance within the CSK set-up remains as great.
The Ranchi man joined the Super Kings for ₹4.2 crore at the 2018 auction and later led Pune Supergiant after Steve Smith’s ban following the two-year suspension. The franchise handed him the captaincy again last season when regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad picked up an injury. Dhoni then steered his side through a difficult World Cup and never looked out of place despite limited game-time. He last played competitive cricket on May 25 during the 2025 IPL season.
Watch the net session featuring MS Dhoni here:
A treat, every time he bats 🥳✨
Superfans, you know what time it is 🔜🦁#WhistlePodu
🎥 : Jharkhand cricket association pic.twitter.com/VY6okLqVVC
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) January 26, 2026MS Dhoni scored 196 runs at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17 from 13 innings in the 2025 season. Even when demoted to a lower-order finisher place, he is still a reliable source of the power hitting they crave and brings invaluable fielding and behind-the-stumps expertise. When he gets back to captaincy, Gaikwad is expected to gain a lot from his decision making and game sense.
With the news breaking at the nap of the preseason transfer window, the five-time champions raised eyebrows by bringing in Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals while, for now, letting go of Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja. The franchise also bid aggressively on youth, splashing ₹14.20 crore each on uncapped Indian prospects Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma to underline its intent to rebuild swiftly.
CSK will be eager to mount a formidable comeback after finishing at the bottom of the standings with only four victories from ten games the previous season. The team will be hoping that Dhoni’s leadership and expertise will help them regain their signature consistency in the next season.
