Watch: MS Dhoni arrives in Chennai amidst massive crowd ahead of IPL 2026

There was a massive cheer and loud noise as the former Indian wicket-keeper batter and the captain of the Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni, arrived in Chennai ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The official schedule is yet to be revealed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), but the event is expected to begin on March 28.

A couple of days ago, the video went viral when MS Dhoni was seen to follow his ritual of visiting the Deori Maa Temple in Ranchi, where he took the blessings for the next edition of the tournament. There was also a big crowd, as the Ranchi-born entered the temple with high security and broke a coconut, besides taking the blessings from the goddess.

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Dhoni has overall smashed 5439 runs in 242 innings of the IPL at an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45, which is a blistering number given how many seasons he has been part of. The veteran has also celebrated 24 half-centuries in the process. In the previous season of the event, he collected 196 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17, thanks to the best score of 30 runs.

MS Dhoni appears in Chennai ahead of IPL 2026

The issue for Dhoni has been his recent form, as the right-handed batter hasn’t crossed the 250-run mark, which has been a reflection of his age factor. He would hope to bring the same aggression and power to the lower order and inject value in the leadership.

Watch the video here: 

The CSK CEO, Kasi Viswanathan, has already confirmed that Dhoni would be part of the entire season for the tournament. There is uncertainty whether he would be part of all the elevens as they may try the young players and hand the wicket-keeper gloves to Sanju Samson for the upcoming days.

Under Ruturaj Gaikwad’s leadership, the management may open with Samson and Ayush Mhatre, with Shivam Dube and Dewald Brevis providing them the vital power against the spinners in the middle overs along with stability from their captain.