Michael Clarke predicts MS Dhoni’s IPL future

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had a terrible IPL 2025 campaign, finishing at the bottom of the table. In 14 games, they managed to win only four and ended the season with just eight points and a net run rate of -0.647. 

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However, after their last game against Gujarat Titans (GT), where they won by 83 runs, all eyes were on CSK skipper MS Dhoni to see if he would reveal anything about his IPL future. But he did not make any such announcement, stating instead that he has enough time to decide. 

During the post-match press conference, Dhoni said: “I have four or five months to decide [whether to play or not]. It's professional cricket; you have to be at your best. It's not a performance. What's important is to see how much hunger you have. I have enough time to decide. I'll go back to Ranchi. I'm not saying I'm done; I'm not saying I'm coming back. I have the luxury of time.” 

Now, former Australia captain Michael Clarke, on his Beyond23 Cricket podcast, has claimed that he wants Dhoni to continue in IPL 2026 as well. 

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“I think MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will play in next year's IPL. MS Dhoni is massive. Every time Chennai plays, even in away games, there are more Chennai fans than any other fan. Sponsors, they are there because of MS Dhoni. The fans, they are there because of MS Dhoni,” Clarke said. 

"He is the king of that franchise. They want him to keep playing and I dont think people realise the impact. When he decides to retire, it will be a huge loss to the franchise," he added. 

MS Dhoni began the recent season solely as a wicketkeeper-batter, with Ruturaj Gaikwad appointed as the skipper. After a tough start to the season, Gaikwad was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign due to an elbow injury. 

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As a result, Dhoni returned to the captaincy and led the team for the rest of the tournament. However, it was not enough to turn things around, and CSK ultimately finished at the bottom of the table for the first time in IPL history.

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