Will MS Dhoni feature for CSK in IPL 2027?
What's the story
Former Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has hinted that his future in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will depend on his fitness levels. The 45-year-old cricketer missed the entire IPL 2026 season due to fitness issues, primarily related to his calf. Now, he has revealed that his future in IPL will depend on his fitness levels.
Fitness check
Dhoni's humorous take on his IPL future
When asked about his plans for another IPL season, Dhoni responded with humor.
"Doc, I will have to go through the test. You will have to give me the report, and then before December, I will have to see how strong I am to maybe play one more season," he said at an event.
This indicates that he could make a decision about his IPL future before December.
Career highlights
Dhoni's impressive IPL stats
Over the years, Dhoni's role in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting line-up has been reduced.
He mostly bats in the death overs, showcasing his power-hitting skills.
Despite a smaller role, he is still among the top run-scorers in IPL history with 5,439 runs.
His captaincy record is equally impressive as he has led CSK to five IPL titles and two Champions League T20 titles.
Team struggles
CSK's recent struggles in IPL
Since Ruturaj Gaikwad took over as captain in 2024, CSK have struggled to replicate its past success.
The team finished at the bottom of the table in IPL 2025 and managed an eighth-place finish in IPL 2026.
CSK last won the IPL title in 2023 under Dhoni's leadership.
Stats
Most runs by a keeper in IPL history
Dhoni, the third-most-capped player in IPL history, has 278 caps to his name, as per Cricinfo.
He has tallied 5,439 runs at an average of 38.30. His strike rate of 137.45 is also impressive.
Meanwhile, 5,321 of Dhoni's IPL runs have come as a designated wicket-keeper.
Dinesh Karthik (4,463) is the only other player with 4,000-plus IPL runs as a gloveman.
This puts Dhoni in a league of his own.
Role
Reduced roles in recent seasons
Since the start of the 2020 season, Dhoni has scored just 1,007 IPL runs across 88 matches.
His average (27.21) and strike rate (135.71) have been decent though.
From 2008 to 2019, Dhoni's lowest batting position in an IPL game was seventh.
He batted just six times across 143 innings in this spot.
However, since the start of 2020, the veteran has batted 36 times across 72 innings at seven or lower.