MS Dhoni’s absence from IPL 2026 has once again triggered conversations around whether the Chennai Super Kings legend has already played his final game for the franchise. But former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes fans should be very careful before wishing for Dhoni’s retirement.
Dhoni has missed the entire IPL 2026 season so far because of a recurring calf strain, while CSK have slowly rebuilt momentum without him in the XI. Speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Clarke said Dhoni’s value to CSK goes far beyond just cricket and insisted nobody should rush the legendary wicketkeeper towards retirement.
“MS Dhoni is CSK. If you go watch a CSK game, everyone has the No.7 yellow jersey on. In terms of sponsors coming to the team, every sponsor would want MS Dhoni to be part of that team. He is that significant in India and CSK,” Clarke said.
“Age should not matter, though. No one can convince me that there is a better keeper than MS Dhoni. He’s still the best wicketkeeper in T20s. He is also one of a kind. So people need to be careful in wishing him to retire.”
Clarke also admitted that once Dhoni walks away from cricket completely, fans may barely see him around the sport again.
“When he retires, we probably won’t see him involved in cricket. He certainly won’t commentate. I doubt he will stay on as a mentor with CSK. I can’t imagine him going into coaching,” Clarke added.
“So I would urge people to not wish him to go out soon and try to keep him involved in the sport.”
The comments come at an interesting time for CSK, who suddenly look far more settled after back-to-back wins despite Dhoni’s continued absence from the playing XI.
WHY IS MS DHONI NOT PLAYING IN IPL 2026?
Dhoni has not played a single match in IPL 2026 because of a calf injury suffered early in the season.
The 39-year-old was initially expected to return midway through the campaign and had even resumed light training sessions. But CSK head coach Stephen Fleming later revealed that Dhoni suffered another setback during training, forcing the franchise to remain cautious.
Fleming had explained after CSK’s clash against Gujarat Titans on April 26 that any serious aggravation of the calf strain could potentially end Dhoni’s season completely.
That cautious approach has also coincided with Chennai finally finding balance.
Sanju Samson has stepped up massively behind the stumps and with the bat, scoring 315 runs in nine matches, including two centuries in his debut CSK season.
The bowling attack has also looked sharper over the last few matches, making it increasingly difficult for Chennai to suddenly alter a settled combination.
WILL MS DHONI RETIRE AFTER IPL 2026?
That remains the biggest question around CSK right now.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently suggested that Dhoni may only return for a farewell appearance if Chennai slip out of playoff contention later this season.
CSK, however, are very much alive in the playoff race after their recent win over Delhi Capitals pushed them to 10 points from 10 matches.
Their next two fixtures are against bottom-placed Lucknow Super Giants, giving Chennai a strong opportunity to build further momentum before the final stretch of the season.
And that is what makes the Dhoni conversation even more complicated.
If CSK keep winning without changing the current setup, there may simply be no cricketing reason to force him back into the XI, unless the franchise decides to give him one final appearance in yellow.
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