MS Dhoni To Retire After IPL 2026? Ex-CSK Teammate's Huge Remark After Auction: "Writing On The Wall"

MS Dhoni is all set to retire from the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the 2026 season, according to his former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and India teammate Robin Uthappa. Following CSK's buys at the IPL 2026 auction - where they splashed a combined Rs 28.40 crore for uncapped stars Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer - Uthappa believes that the "writing is on the wall" for Dhoni when it comes to his retirement. Uthappa stated that Dhoni could be transitioned to a mentorship role at CSK after the upcoming IPL season.

"I think the writing is on the wall. This is clearly going to be MS Dhoni's last season," Uthappa claimed, speaking on JioHotstar.

"No more conjecture, no more speculation about whether he is going to play another year or not. This year, he will be well and truly done," Uthappa stated.

After their disastrous start to IPL 2025, CSK have drastically switched their approach, signing several young players.

While they roped in Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis and Urvil Patel as replacement players during IPL 2025, they purchased 19-year-old wicket-keeper batter Kartik Sharma and 20-year-old all-rounder Prashant Veer in the IPL 2026 auction to boost the youth in their squad.

Uthappa suggested that Dhoni could be playing as a 'player-mentor' during IPL 2026.

"I think all the signs point towards that (Dhoni retiring) when you look at the investment in youth and the kind of teams they have picked since last year. They are focused on developing talent, uncovering talent and keeping that talent within the franchise," Uthappa said.

"It's a fair call. If you can develop another Jadeja with the kind of mentorship MS Dhoni provides, along with the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad, why not? That's the direction you want to move in.

"We all know that if he is not playing, he will be mentoring the side. I think this year he will operate as a mentor-cum-player. He is already viewing things from that perspective, which is why they are bringing in players like these," Uthappa added.

There have been rumours whether Dhoni could feature in a reduced 'Impact Player' role for CSK in IPL 2026, particularly after the arrival of Sanju Samson in a mega trade deal from Rajasthan Royals (RR).

However, it is important to remember that Dhoni was in the thick of things even in the previous season, captaining the side for the second half of the season after Ruturaj Gaikwad's injury.

Topics mentioned in this article

MS Dhoni Robin Uthappa Kartik Sharma Prashant Veer Chennai Super Kings Cricket IPL 2026