Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has strongly defended MS Dhoni amid growing discussions around the veteran star’s future in the IPL. Dhoni has missed the first 10 matches of IPL 2026 due to a recurring calf injury, leading many fans to wonder whether the Chennai Super Kings legend has already played his final game for the franchise. However, Clarke believes people should not rush to talk about Dhoni’s retirement.

Clarke on MS Dhoni's retirement

Speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Clarke said Dhoni’s importance to Chennai Super Kings goes far beyond just his performances on the field.

“MS Dhoni is CSK. If you go watch a CSK game, everyone has the No.7 yellow jersey on. In terms of sponsors coming to the team, every sponsor would want MS Dhoni to be part of that team. He is that significant in India and CSK,” Clarke said.

“Age should not matter, though. No one can convince me that there is a better keeper than MS Dhoni. He's still the best wicketkeeper in T20s. He is also one of a kind. So people need to be careful in wishing him to retire.”

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Will MS Dhoni be seen involved in cricket after retirement?

Clarke also said that once Dhoni decides to retire completely, fans may not see him involved in cricket regularly again.

“When he retires, we probably won't see him involved in cricket. He certainly won't commentate. I doubt he will stay on as a mentor with CSK. I can't imagine him going into coaching,” Clarke added.

“So I would urge people not to wish him to go out soon and try to keep him involved in the sport.”

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Why is Dhoni missing IPL 2026?

Dhoni has not played a single game in IPL 2026 because of a calf strain he picked up early in the season. The 39-year-old was expected to return midway through the tournament and had even started light training sessions. However, Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming later revealed that Dhoni suffered another setback during training.

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