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Did MS Dhoni not play on purpose? If so, the decision befits his reputation as shrewd
No way is Dhoni going to be seen in the IPL next year. Calf injury did spoil his plans, but there was more to it this season.
If MS Dhoni didn't play in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) on purpose, it was probably the best decision of his cricketing life yet. Having said that, he should have done it a couple of seasons ago.
On Thursday, Chennai Super Kings played their last match of the season, and a crushing 89-run defeat by Gujarat Titans meant whatever little hopes they may have had in regard to the play-offs went up in smoke right there.
No one can say for sure that if Dhoni had been fit and played and Ruturaj Gaikwad had his guidance, CSK, who finished last in 2025, would have qualified for the play-offs.
No matter how much a player tries, if they don't or can't do their primary jobs properly, everything else doesn’t matter.
In the previous couple of seasons, Dhoni showed now and then that he could still hit big sixes, but he had lost the art of scoring big and finishing matches. One of his primary jobs. Wicketkeeping is another one of his primary jobs, but it's less important than batting in today's world.
As we have seen in the previous couple of seasons, he was no help to Gaikwad. And expecting him to continue playing with the same aplomb was a terrible expectation on the part of CSK and fans. He retired from white-ball international cricket in 2020. He has since only played in the IPL, not even domestic cricket.
How do you stay in shape and in practice if you don't play competitive cricket? It's hard to believe that continuing to play on, especially in the last couple of seasons, was entirely Dhoni's decision. A man who has won three ICC white-ball trophies as India captain and five IPL trophies as CSK captain doesn't understand that! It's hard to believe.
Much more to it than just calf strain!
Ahead of IPL 2026, there were confirmed reports that Thala will play. However, just days before the kick-off, the news of his picking up a calf strain broke out, and he was ruled out of the initial few matches for the franchise. All through their campaign right up to this past Wednesday, his return hopes were kept alive by the CSK media and management teams.
So, it's safe to assume that Dhoni understood beforehand that he would be of no use and it was better that he didn't play at all. Of course, the calf injury was a big setback, but by the look of it, there was much more to it. He might have played a few matches if CSK were doing fine, but since they were struggling for the large part, it wouldn't have been a great idea to jump into the eye of the storm. If he had played, it wouldn't have been Gaikwad getting the flak much; it would have been Dhoni.
So, it was a smart move. By the way, we may never see Dhoni in action in competitive cricket again. Thala has said goodbye, although in a manner one would not have expected.
