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Former India captain and veteran Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni was recently spotted at an event after starring alongside skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and others a few days ago. While the cricketer, who turned 44 last month, recently hinted on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s return at the helm for CSK in IPL 2026, the biggest question which surrounds himself is his future in the league.
However, Dhoni has time and again quashed the rumours of him playing his last IPL season ahead of every edition, it is still on after the veteran wicketkeeper-batter hinted that he still has time to decide if he’ll play in 2026 or not. While the former India captain retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020, he continued to play the IPL.
I don’t know whether I’ll play or not: MS Dhoni on his IPL future with CSK
Dhoni, who took over the helm after regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out with an elbow injury, was asked of his future at a recent event. Taking the centre-stage, Dhoni replied, “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.”
But as soon as Dhoni was done replying to the question, someone from the crowd passionately urged, “You have to play, sir." Known for his wit and humour, Dhoni instantly came up with a response that drew laughter from the crowd. “Arre, ghutne me jo dard hota hai uska take care kaun karega? (The pain I have in my knees, who will take care of that?)" he quikly reponded.
Watch video of MS Dhoni’s viral response:
Notably, MS Dhoni has been struggling with knee issues in the recent seasons, keeping his future under uncertainty. After leading the side to its fifth title in IPL 2023, he underwent a surgery and made a comeback in IPL 2024. He was seen in visible pain in this year’s tournament as well, where CSK finished at the bottom-most spot with only four wins out of 14 league stage fixtures.
