Will Dhoni play in IPL 2027? CSK captain Gaikwad gives 'next year' update

NEW DELHI: Will MS Dhoni play successful IPL 2027? The aboriginal of Dhoni, who did not diagnostic successful a azygous lucifer successful IPL 2026, remains uncertain. After Chennai Super Kings suffered a humiliating 89-run decision astatine the hands of Gujarat Titans successful their IPL 2026 clash astatine the Narendra Modi Stadium successful Ahmedabad, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was asked astir his team’s disappointing campaign, with the cardinal question being whether Dhoni volition beryllium portion of the squad adjacent season.When asked, “Will MS Dhoni play adjacent year?”, Gaikwad admitted that adjacent the dressing country is unsure astir the veteran’s IPL 2027 return.

“Obviously you volition get to cognize it adjacent twelvemonth itself. Even I'll get to cognize it adjacent twelvemonth itself. Obviously, it's a hard, hard miss for america definitely. He's idiosyncratic who can, person a fearfulness successful the opposition, particularly coming successful those precocious overs. Can truly alteration the game, tin truly alteration the momentum conscionable by staying astatine the crease.

So, he's someone, decidedly we missed a batch this season. But, I mean, we ne'er cognize astir adjacent season, but evidently truly blessed with the guys we had and, truly blessed with the acquisition they got this year,” Gaikwad said.Dhoni was initially ruled retired for the archetypal 2 weeks of the play owed to a calf injury. However, the erstwhile India skipper ne'er returned arsenic the tourney progressed. He besides did not question with the squad to Ahmedabad for their last league lucifer against Gujarat Titans.

CSK’s decision connected Thursday officially ended their playoff hopes and their IPL 2026 campaign. They played 14 matches, winning 6 and losing 8, finishing with 12 points and a nett tally complaint of -0.345.After being enactment successful to bat by CSK, Gujarat Titans posted a monolithic 229/4, powered by a 125-run opening concern betwixt Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. In response, CSK failed to equine a situation and were bowled retired for 140 runs.“Yes, besides keeping successful mind, we wanted to benignant of pursuit immoderate the full is arsenic aboriginal arsenic possible. And, obviously, erstwhile you're chasing 230, anyhow successful 20 overs, it's not going to beryllium casual with the benignant of bowling onslaught they have. But, conscionable wherefore not springiness it a changeable and conscionable spell retired determination and express. And obviously, recognition to them. They outplayed america successful each departments,” Gaikwad said.When asked if determination was immoderate regret implicit winning the flip and opting to tract archetypal successful the important match, Gaikwad said: “Not really, actually.

I thought it was a spot spongy to commencement with. Obviously, they got disconnected to a bully start. A fewer errors successful our bowling, we didn't execute that good successful the powerplay, particularly to some of them. And erstwhile their openers get going, it's precise hard to halt them. So, obviously, adjacent successful between, determination were phases wherever we could person capitalised, we could person restricted them to 200.

But we failed to bash that today.”CSK, aft 3 consecutive wins against Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants, mislaid momentum and past suffered 3 back-to-back defeats against LSG, SRH and GT, which severely wounded their campaign.“Well, pugnacious play to start, particularly the hat-trick of losses. And past aft that, erstwhile we recovered that momentum, evidently we recovered guys playing astatine the close spot, the close combination, everything started working. And past obviously, a mates of injuries again and again didn't truly assistance much, particularly missing retired Jamie and, you know, different all-rounder successful Ramakrishna Ghosh, benignant of unsettled our playing 12.

We were ever playing a batter abbreviated oregon playing a bowler abbreviated successful immoderate past 3 games we played. So obviously, not galore radical really bargain the information that we are a young team, we are successful a modulation signifier and not a batch of players who are experienced enough, particularly successful the toughest competition,” helium said.

CSK's IPL 2026 seson summary

“But fixed the information that much than 8 to 10 players who person played conscionable beneath 20 games, it's bully to person that vulnerability for them, particularly this year. We got to cognize what are the areas we are lacking and decidedly inactive to get those six wins connected the roadworthy and immoderate mates of large wins arsenic well. So truly arrogant of the unit. There were a fewer games, arsenic I said, erstwhile we travelled to Hyderabad, we missed retired connected chasing 80 successful 10 overs and past adjacent past clip erstwhile we played successful Chennai, we could person restricted them to 180.

So, a mates of games wherever we could person conscionable got implicit the line, failed to bash that, but still, precise overmuch proud,” Gaikwad said.