Will Mahendra Singh Dhoni don CSK's yellow jersey once again? While Dhoni has not ruled out playing in IPL 2026, he has equally not confirmed it.
With fitness taking centre stage and CSK's future planning well under way, the chance remains for one more chapter -- but it will depend heavily on his body and his ambition.
For now, the cricket world watches and waits as franchises are busy making strategic decisions ahead of the November 15 retention deadline.
Meanwhile, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan made a big revelation in a recent video shared by Provoke Lifestyle on YouTube on the legendary wicketkeeper-batter's future in the glitzy league.
According to him, Dhoni will feature in the IPL 2026 edition.
When a kid asked the CEO during an interactive session whether Dhoni is going to retire, he replied in the negative, saying: 'No, he is not retiring.'
Another kid wanted to know when Dhoni will retire, to which he replied, 'I will ask him and get back to you.'
The CEO was also asked if the five-time champions will win the 2026 IPL trophy. 'We are planning to win but we don't know if we can. We will try our best,' was his reply.
Dhoni, who celebrated his 44th birthday earlier this year, is currently the oldest player in the IPL and the third-oldest to ever play in the league.
The former Indian skipper has repeatedly stayed non-committal about his playing future.
At a recent event he stated: 'I don't know whether I'll play or not. I have time to decide. I have some time until December, so I'll take another couple of months and then finally I can make my decision.'
'It's not about one year or two years. I will always be sitting in a yellow jersey. You know whether I'll be playing or not in a while, but yeah, you know yourself.'
CSK Coach Stephen Fleming, when asked about Dhoni's return, admitted he 'didn't know' and has not had discussions about it.
Notably, Dhoni recently made it clear that his association with CSK goes beyond just playing.
'If you are asking about coming back in a yellow jersey -- whether I'm playing or not, is a different matter,' he said, leaving just enough ambiguity to keep fans guessing about whether they'll see him in pads again.
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