All the build-up around what role MS Dhoni will play in IPL 2026 — and whether the Impact Player rule will be used to bring him into the XI — remains unresolved, with the India legend yet to feature this season. Troubled by a calf injury just days before the start of the 19th edition, Chennai Super Kings had initially indicated he would be out for two weeks. However, three weeks into the tournament, there is still no clarity on his return. As the uncertainty lingers, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has hit out at CSK for their handling of the situation.
In Dhoni’s absence, Chennai have endured a patchy start. They lost their first three games, won two on the bounce, but slipped again to remain in the bottom half of the table. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has faced criticism for the team’s struggles, compounded by his own poor run with the bat — just 82 runs in six innings.
Manjrekar, speaking on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast, defended Gaikwad and instead placed the blame squarely on the CSK management.
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“This blame, I’m going to put at the doorstep of the owners and people who make the big decisions. Because Gaikwad, before he was captain, was phenomenal at the top of the order,” he said.
Manjrekar further argued that the overwhelming fandom surrounding Dhoni has only added to Gaikwad’s challenges.
“And then that thing with M.S. Dhoni — whether he’s going to be playing, whether he’s going to be captain — they handled that very badly. And this is where you see the sycophancy of Indian culture that has seeped into cricket as well. I mean, there isn’t just a fan following of Dhoni, there is sycophancy around it,” he added.
The veteran also recalled an incident to underline the intensity of Dhoni’s fandom.
“There was one instance of Dhoni trying to put his bat into the crease, and it was a very close call. And I said he was clearly short and should be run out. They got angry with me for saying that because it was seen as anti-Dhoni. Somewhere, they lost sight of the bigger picture.”
When asked if Dhoni’s return could ease Gaikwad’s burden, Manjrekar expressed doubts over how CSK could accommodate him in the XI. He also took a dig at the narrative around Dhoni’s brief cameos in recent seasons.
“Maybe, but then you have to play Dhoni on the field. And how do you do that? Increasingly, he’s finding it tough to deliver. It was a bit of a joke when he came down the order to face three or four balls and the coverage hyped it up as ‘what an innings’. It lasted four balls.
“So that’s not feasible anymore, and it was never going to be a long-term solution. I can’t pretend to know how Ruturaj felt when M.S. was on the field but not captaining, as opposed to not being there at all,” he said.
As things stand, Chennai still have no clarity on Dhoni’s availability for their next game against the Mumbai Indians. The former captain has travelled with the squad even as he continues to recover.
“Not really, I’m not sure,” batting coach Michael Hussey said when asked about Dhoni’s return. “He’s progressing nicely with his rehab, and I’m happy with how he’s batting.”