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In a blunt assessment, South African batting legend AB de Villiers stated on Tuesday that MS Dhoni must bat no lower than number six in the upcoming IPL, as coming in at eight or nine does not do justice to his presence. Dhoni, 44, will turn out for his franchise Chennai Super Kings in the IPL starting March 28, and De Villiers urged the talisman to change his trend of batting way down the order in recent years. Touching upon Dhoni's role in the CSK setup this IPL season, De Villiers told JioHotstar, "It's very tricky and not straightforward. Brands are built over years, and CSK have built this empire over many years with this MS Dhoni figure that's always been there. When you mention CSK, you immediately think of Dhoni. "I feel that in the last few years, his role has purely been about keeping that brand as strong as possible. That's why I don't see a role for him batting at eight or nine and not really doing enough, like last season. "We know he can be impactful with the bat, but
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League could be the "last time" fans see MS Dhoni turning out for Chennai Super Kings. As the 2026 IPL approaches, once again the talks surrounding Dhoni's retirement has again gathered pace. The speculation intensified after CSK traded Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, a move that many felt could allow the veteran to further minimise his on-field involvement this season while continuing to mentor the side. "CSK is incomplete without MS Dhoni. This season might be the last time we see him in the yellow jersey and it's tough to imagine CSK and the IPL without him," Irfan said on JioHotstar's 'Game Plan'. "As soon as the IPL comes around, we start seeing Mahendra Singh Dhoni again, which means he is fully prepared for it, and he is looking very fit as well," he added. The 44-year-old has already joined the CSK camp in Chennai earlier this month and has been training alongside the squad led by
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was an established India star even before Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma were born. They were literally in their nappies when the legend of 'Captain Cool' was taking shape during those formative years of the Indian Premier League. But if they put hands on their hearts, neither the 19-year-old keeper-batter Kartik nor the 20-year-old left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Veer would have thought that by Tuesday evening, they would jointly walk into the record books with bank-breaking deals of Rs 14.20 crore from Chennai Super Kings. More enticing than that is the opportunity of a lifetime to share the dressing room with none other than Dhoni, already 44 and still going strong. Whether keeper Kartik will get a look-in when Sanju Samson and Dhoni can don the big gloves or if Veer can be groomed as a long-term replacement of Ravindra Jadeja is a matter of debate. But Chennai Super Kings have displayed a clever switch in philosophy looking at the future when Ruturaj ...