- By Gurmeet Batra
- Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:25 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IPL 2026: Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan indicated that legendary wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni is poised to feature in the entirety of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, subject to fitness and team requirements.
Viswanathan also added that the final decision on Dhoni's playing role and frequency will be taken by the team management.
The 19th edition of the IPL will begin on March 28, and all franchises have already begun their training camps to prepare for the cash-rich league.
As T20 World Cup participants join their IPL franchises, CSK fans are worried about MS Dhoni's availability, given his age. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter's participation in the 2026 IPL has raised concerns, with doubts over his ability to play in all matches.
"He will play all the matches, according to me,” Viswanathan said.
When asked about Dhoni's likely role in the tournament, given the presence of Sam Curran and other keepers, the CSK CEO said the team management will decide on Dhoni's playing role.
"That I cannot say. That is a cricketing decision which will be taken by the cricketing staff. Not by the administrative staff. So they will decide whether he is going to play as a batsman or as a wicketkeeper-batter, or as an impact player,” he added.
The IPL 2026 schedule is expected to be announced on Wednesday, taking into account the upcoming electoral process in the country.
Kasi confirmed that the five-time champions will play all their home matches in Chennai, saying, "We are supposed to play only in Tamil Nadu only. So we are waiting for the schedule to be announced by the BCCI."
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Viswanathan lauded the contributions of Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube, who played important roles in India's T20 World Cup win.
"We are very happy that India has won the World Cup, that too they've won it back-to-back. We are delighted because two of the CSK players, Sanju and Shivam Dube, have performed extremely well. It gives us a lot of confidence in the team doing well for CSK here also," he said.
