Robin Uthappa Makes Bold Prediction On MS Dhoni's Future In IPL 2026: 'I Don't See Him Batting At...'

IPL 2026: Former cricketer Robin Uthappa has made a bold prediction about Chennai Super Kings (CSK) veteran MS Dhoni’s future in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

With only days left before the start of the 2026 season, Dhoni has already begun training alongside his Super Kings teammates.

Dhoni is regarded as a CSK loyalist, having spent 16 seasons with the Chennai-based franchise. The legendary wicketkeeper-batter represented Rising Pune Supergiant only during IPL 2016 and 2017.

In recent seasons of the cash-rich league, speculation has grown about Dhoni’s future. Critics argue that it is time for the 44-year-old to retire, while fans continue to flock to stadiums in huge numbers to catch a glimpse of him. Injuries hampered his performances in the last two seasons, but this year, he is reportedly fully fit and ready to entertain the crowd.

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Robin Uthappa Opens Up On MS Dhoni's Future In IPL

Speaking on JioHotstar, Robin Uthappa claimed that IPL 2026 might be Dhoni’s final year in the yellow jersey. He also suggested that the veteran could transition into CSK’s management as a mentor.

Uthappa further predicted that Dhoni might bat at number eight instead of seven this season.

"IPL 2026 is likely to be Dhoni’s last year in the yellow jersey. I see him playing more of a mentor-cum-player role this year. I don’t see him batting at number seven. I see him batting at number eight. Knowing that he is on his way out, he wants to wean himself out. I think he will do that," Uthappa said.

Across his IPL career, Dhoni has played 278 matches and 242 innings, scoring 5,439 runs at a strike rate of 137.45 and an average of 38.30. He has registered 24 half-centuries but has yet to score a century.

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Robin Uthappa Backs Ruturaj Gaikwad As CSK's Captain For IPL 2026

Uthappa also emphasized that Ruturaj Gaikwad should continue as CSK’s captain, cautioning against handing the leadership role to Sanju Samson.

"I don’t think CSK should hand over the leadership duties to Sanju Samson. You have to give Ruturaj Gaikwad time to settle as captain. He has been leading the team since 2024. No matter what people say, he is coming out of the shadow of MS Dhoni. You want him to come out completely and stand in his own light. You want to see what he can produce. You want him to lead the team when MS is not playing and stand on his own, without that overwhelming feeling of always being under that energy," he added.

CSK endured a poor campaign in IPL 2025, finishing at the bottom of the standings with just eight points and a net run rate of -0.647. They played 14 matches, winning four and losing 10.