Former Chennai Super Kings player Robin Uthappa feels the time has come for MS Dhoni to step away from both CSK and the IPL, especially with the franchise already deep into a transition phase.
Sharing his views on JioHotstar, Uthappa explained that Dhoni’s responsibilities within the team have gradually reduced over the years, particularly after he took back the captaincy from Ravindra Jadeja. He noted that leadership has steadily been passed on to Ruturaj Gaikwad, season by season.
“I don’t think his role changes dramatically because this transition has been ongoing for a while. Ever since the captaincy returned to him from Ravindra Jadeja, you could see responsibility shifting year after year. Each season, more of it has moved towards Ruturaj Gaikwad. When you look at this squad now, it genuinely feels like the right time for Dhoni to step away,” Uthappa said.
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Rutu Captaincy
CSK had earlier shown confidence in Ruturaj Gaikwad as their long term captain, but results did not go as planned in his first season at the helm, with the team failing to qualify for the playoffs. Matters worsened in IPL 2025 when Gaikwad was ruled out midway through the tournament due to an elbow fracture. His absence had a major impact on the side, as CSK finished at the bottom of the points table for the first time in their history.
Signs of a leadership transition at CSK have become more evident over time. While Dhoni has been the backbone of the franchise for nearly 18 seasons, the team management appears to be preparing for life beyond him. This was underlined once again when CSK traded in Sanju Samson ahead of the auction. With Dhoni expected to retire in the near future, Samson is widely seen as the likely successor behind the stumps.
Alongside leadership planning, CSK also made significant moves at the IPL 2026 mini auction by investing heavily in uncapped Indian talent. The franchise went all out to secure Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, spending Rs 14.2 crore on each. Prashant is viewed as a potential successor to Ravindra Jadeja, given his ability as a left arm spinner and left handed batter. Kartik, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the most promising wicketkeeper batters in the domestic circuit and had attracted interest from multiple IPL teams.
Whether these young signings can justify the heavy investment remains to be seen when the tournament begins.
CSK’s squad for IPL 2026 includes Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain, Ayush Mhatre, MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar and Zak Foulkes.