The curtains came down on Chennai Super Kings’ IPL 2026 campaign in crushing fashion on Thursday at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where they suffered a massive 89-run defeat against Gujarat Titans. The loss knocked them out of the tournament, and after the match the bigger talking point remained MS Dhoni and his uncertain future in the league. Dhoni did not feature in a single game throughout the season. 

A calf injury suffered ahead of the tournament ruled him out of the opening games. There were expectations that he would recover within a couple of weeks. However, as the tournament progressed, the legendary former captain remained absent from the playing XI. 

The prolonged silence surrounding Dhoni’s fitness and future has only contributed to the growing speculation. For years, every IPL season involving the veteran wicketkeeper has carried retirement rumours, but uncertainty always prevails. Following CSK's defeat, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was asked about MS Dhoni. Replying to the question, Gaikwad admitted that he had no information regarding Dhoni’s plans for IPL 2027.

 “You will get to know it next year. Even I will get to know it next year," Gaikwad said at the post-match presentation.

“It’s a hard miss for us. He is someone who can instil fear in the opposition; especially coming in those late overs, (he) can really change the game, can really change the momentum just by staying at the crease. He is someone who we definitely missed a lot this season. 

“We never know about next season, but really happy for the guys we had and the experience they got this year,” he added.

In the IPL 2026, CSK endured a torrid season, suffering eight defeats in 14 matches. This was for the third successive season that CSK failed to make it to the playoff.