MS Dhoni’s last IPL season? Ex-cricketer makes big prediction

Chennai, March 26 — As the countdown to IPL 2026 ticks into its final hours, one of Indian cricket’s most resonant questions has returned to centre stage: is this the last time MS Dhoni will pull on the famous yellow jersey? Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the answer is yes. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan’, Pathan forecast that the upcoming campaign could signal the end of Dhoni’s storied IPL journey, capping a career that has already spanned 278 matches and 5,439 runs across two franchises.

“CSK is incomplete without MS Dhoni. This season might be the last time we see him in the yellow jersey and it’s tough to imagine CSK and the IPL without him,” Pathan said, underlining the emotional weight the 44-year-old wicket-keeper-batsman still carries for the five-time champions. Dhoni, who joined the squad in Chennai earlier this month, has been training with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s unit and, according to Pathan, appears “fully prepared and very fit”.

Yet fitness alone may not dictate Dhoni’s on-field involvement. Pathan suggested that the blockbuster pre-season trade that brought Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals is a strategic signal: Dhoni could further pare back his playing time while amplifying his mentoring influence. “I’m not sure how many games he will play. But his presence in the dressing room will help a lot,” Pathan noted, predicting that Samson, Gaikwad and emerging talents such as Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis will form an expanded leadership core designed to absorb Dhoni’s tactical acumen.

CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has maintained that Dhoni “will be available for the full season” and is expected to feature in “all matches”, but Pathan cautioned that the franchise will likely adopt a phased approach, balancing sentiment with succession planning. “The baton has to pass on to the likes of Shivam Dube, Ruturaj and the youngsters. CSK’s ideology has changed,” Pathan said, urging the next generation to embrace “fearlessness” in a line-up he rates highly for six-hitting intent.

Last season Dhoni occupied a specialist finisher’s role, scoring 196 runs in 13 innings of brief death-over cameos. Whether he reprises that niche or slides even further down the order remains uncertain, but Pathan believes the overarching narrative is already set: “They will definitely look to give him a perfect farewell by lifting their sixth IPL trophy.”

Off the field, the Dhoni factor continues to ripple through the league. Rajasthan Royals must now rebuild after relinquishing both Jos Buttler and Samson, leaving newly appointed full-time captain Riyan Parag to shoulder batting responsibility in front of his home crowd in Guwahati. Meanwhile Sunrisers Hyderabad face early-season turbulence, with doubts over Pat Cummins’ availability for marquee fixtures against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants.

For Chennai Super Kings, however, the mission is crystalline: craft a title run worthy of the man who has embodied their ethos since 2008. If Pathan’s prognosis proves accurate, IPL 2026 will not merely crown a champion—it will mark the closing chapter of one of cricket’s most iconic franchise careers.