MS Dhoni's childhood coach reveals future after CSK's IPL 2025 exit

There are speculations about Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni's retirement, whether it is the last IPL season for him. However, Dhoni's childhood coach Keshav Ranjan Banerjee has hinted that the legendary cricketer might return for another IPL season in 2026.

Dhoni will be close to 45 during the next IPL season. The Chennai-based team is already out of the playoff race this year and is at the bottom of the table. They secured just two wins in 11 matches. It remains unknown how Dhoni fits into the team’s entire scheme of things for next season.

Might See Him Play in the Next IPL as Well - MS Dhoni's Childhood Coach

In a chat with Times Now, Keshav Ranjan Banerjee said that MS Dhoni is currently focused on building a young team, which could be a sign of his plans to continue for another year. He stated that only Dhoni can decide when to walk away.

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"Only he (MS Dhoni) knows whether this year is his last year in the IPL. We all want him to play as long as he can," Banerjee said.

"CSK might have parted with him before the IPL 2025 auction if they wanted. However, they wanted Dhoni to stay so that he could groom this team. So, we might see him play in the next IPL as well," he added.

MS Dhoni’s Future in the IPL Remains Uncertain

MS Dhoni’s future in the IPL remains uncertain. The 43-year-old cricketer hasn’t spoken on retirement. Dhoni has remained sharp behind the stumps and batted in the lower order.

After a disappointing IPL 2024 campaign where they missed the playoffs, the Men in Yellow campaign was marred by injuries and inconsistent performances. Dhoni had to step in as captain following an injury to Ruturaj Gaikwad.

The discussion around Dhoni’s future gained attention after the previous three-year cycle. CSK retained him for ₹4 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The wicketkeeper-batter last played for India in the 2019 World Cup.

Not Necessarily What’s Good for Himself - Sunil Gavaskar

In a conversation with Sports Today, Sunil Gavaskar said that MS Dhoni's decision to play in the current IPL season is based solely on what’s best for CSK.

"Any player makes decisions not so much for himself, but for what is likely to be good for the team. Whatever decision MSD made about playing this season would have been based solely on what’s best for CSK,” Gavaskar said.

“Any future decision he takes will also depend entirely on what’s good for CSK—not necessarily what’s good for himself," he added.

The veteran wicketkeeper managed to score 12 runs off 8 balls in the recent narrow two-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday, May 3. However, he was dismissed LBW by Yash Dayal in the final over. They failed to chase down 15 runs in the over.

CSK will next take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, May 7.

Also read: Shubman Gill superior to Virat Kohli? Ex-India batter makes stunning claim on GT captain