Will MS Dhoni Play in IPL 2027? Here’s What We Know

An injury that had to last for two weeks ended up lasting for a full season. MS Dhoni will end IPL 2026 without featuring in a single game for his beloved franchise, the 5-time champions Chennai Super Kings. It all started with a calf injury when the franchise revealed that their prolific player wouldn’t feature in the first two weeks of the season.

However, the injury got worse as Dhoni, who hit the nets, got his calf injured yet again, leaving the franchise with a new disappointing update. There was a glimmer of hope that the veteran wicket-keeper batter might play at least one game this season, particularly at his home venue in Chennai, but even that didn’t happen as Chennai Super Kings played their final home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 18 without Dhoni, which they lost.

CSK is set to play its final league game of this season at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 21 against the 2022 champions, Gujarat Titans. Dhoni isn’t available for the game, as batting coach Michael Hussey mentioned Dhoni’s thumb injury, which the wicket-keeper batter picked up ahead of the home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Dhoni has returned home, i.e., Ranchi, indicating his season for 2026 is done and dusted without playing a single game.

Will MS Dhoni Return for IPL 2027?

After an injury-prone 2026 season, the biggest question right now in every Dhoni fan’s mind is, Will Dhoni play in IPL 2027? CSK management, as cited by Revsportz, believes Dhoni could play at least one match at Chepauk in IPL 2027, though their ongoing season is virtually over. Team management, along with Dhoni’s long-term friend and his ex-CSK teammate Suresh Raina, has urged Dhoni to return to the IPL for the next season.

At the end of the game between CSK and SRH in Chepauk on May 18, Suresh Raina, who was among the broadcasting team, was seen chatting with MS Dhoni on the ground. Raina revealed the excerpts from the chat, saying that he asked the 44-year-old to return for the next season and feature for his beloved franchise.

“I told MS Dhoni ‘you have given IPL 2026 a missed call. It won’t count. You have to come back next year’. He said ‘nahi yaar, body thoda waisa hai (my body is a little weak)’. I said ‘we are not believing anything. You have to play next year’. It’s his personal call. I think he is positive. The team is also gelling well again,” Raina said via Star Sports.

A roller coaster of emotions for the fans awaits in 2027, as the next season could be MS Dhoni’s final season in the yellow of CSK. His body isn’t coping with the game now, which means IPL 2027 could possibly be his final dance in the cash-rich league. It remains interesting to see if what we are predicting will happen or not. Will MS Dhoni give his fans something to cheer for in IPL 2027 with at least one big appearance? Only time will tell, but till then, let’s get going with the business end of Tata IPL 2026.