With the upcoming season of IPL 2026 in near sight, again the speculations for MS Dhoni’s future has been sparked up. Fans are eager to know whether the former Chennai Super Kings captain will play every match this year. Dhoni, who will turn 45 later this year, has confirmed that he will be available for the upcoming season. A senior source from the franchise has confirmed his participation.

However, it is still not clear if Dhoni will feature in all the league matches. With Sanju Samson joining CSK as a major signing, the team now has more options behind the stumps. This makes it less certain that Dhoni will play every game. The management appears to be keeping its plans flexible for the season.

CSK source told PTI, “We can confirm this much that he is coming to Chennai and had confirmed his availability for the season. Whether he will play all games or not is something we can't say at the moment.” The Impact Player rule has also reduced the need for Dhoni to bat regularly in the last two editions. His role has mostly been limited to short cameos at the end of the innings.

CSK Have Multiple Wicketkeeping Options

This season, CSK have three wicketkeeper-batters in their squad. Sanju Samson is likely to take over the gloves in matches where Dhoni does not play. The team also includes Urvil Patel and Rs 14.20 crore signing Kartik Sharma, who is expected to develop as a finisher alongside Shivam Dube.

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Dhoni has dealt with knee and back issues in recent years, and keeping wickets in a packed schedule can be physically demanding. Still, one thing looks certain, he is expected to play most of CSK’s home games in Chennai. Whenever Dhoni walks out at Chepauk, the crowd erupts, showing the strong connection he continues to share with the franchise and its fans.