MS Dhoni Told To Retire If He Plays As Impact Player In IPL 2026: 'It's Not Football'

Chennai Super Kings advised they must use MS Dhoni on field for his tactics rather than his batting prowess.

Speculations are rife over what role will MS Dhoni mould himself into for the IPL 2026 given Chennai Super Kings have already set into motion a succession plan that saw Ruturaj Gaikwad being elevated to captaincy role a couple of seasons back and the arrival of Sanju Samson last year. With Gaikwad as the new leader and Samson likely to become first-choice wicketkeeper, it leaves a big question mark over how CSK plan to utilise Dhoni.

While Samson taking the gloves during the upcoming season will be dependent on Dhoni’s fitness, there are suggestions that the five-time IPL winning captain may slip into the role of an Impact Player. However, former India opener Aakash Chopra reckons that if such a situation arises, then the legendary cricketer might as well call time on his playing career.

“You don’t run the team from the dugout, it’s not football," Chopra said on JioHotstar citing Dhoni’s leadership skills. “In cricket, you need to be on the field, and MS Dhoni’s biggest asset is his ability to read the game better than anybody else. That clarity and conviction are what make him who he is."

“In any case, I feel this could be his last season. He has the heir apparent now. Sanju Samson will eventually don the gloves, it could even happen at some stage during this season. Again, conditions apply in terms of MS Dhoni’s fitness and his knee. But he cannot be the Impact Player. If he is playing as an Impact Player, I think it’s time for him to hang up his boots," he added.

Dhoni has been battling a knee issue for some time now which has significantly impacted his mobility and it’s one of the reasons why he has been batting quite low in the batting order for CSK.

Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis also feels that CSK need Dhoni the tactician more than Dhoni the batter.

“MS Dhoni is the best tactician and one of the most successful cricketers in the game when it comes to leadership," Du Plessis said. “But I don’t think CSK saw him playing as many seasons as he eventually did. So, they had to look at who was going to be the next Captain. Ruturaj was the next guy, and I thought, coming into his first season, he did a great job. It’s just unfortunate that he got injured last season, where they missed him as a batter and as a Captain."

“In terms of tactics, MS is one of the most brilliant minds. So, I’ll always have him on the field because you need his cricketing brain. The way he sees and reads the game, and the way you see him manoeuvre fields, that’s his real superpower. Yes, we’ve loved watching him bat. But for me, it’s more about what he brings on the field, and that’s something CSK have to use," he added.

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