CHENNAI: Will MS Dhoni feature in the clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on Thursday? Over the last few days, it has been the big question surrounding the five-time champions who once again find themselves in trouble.
Two wins and four losses in six matches mean Super Kings, not in the top half of the table, seem like a team that is in dire need of a saviour, someone capable of engineering a turnaround. While that has only added to the intrigue of Dhoni's imminent return — the former captain is yet to play a match due to a calf strain — a bigger concern looms over the five-time champions.
In the third season since initiating a transition — Dhoni handed the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad in 2024 — Super Kings are seemingly worse than when the transition began. The men in Yellow were once the bedrock of consistency. In 2025, that cloak of consistency was shattered as they failed to advance to the playoffs in back-to-back campaigns for the first time. Now, they are in danger of missing the bus for a third season in a row.
It is the one thing Dhoni made sure and reiterated like a favourite sound track on repeat. "Your franchise pays so much money for you, you should at least make the semifinals. After that you can say it is a lottery," he had said famously after an un-Dhoniesque emotional reaction to qualifying in 2010. Cut to 2026 and Dhoni continues to dominate the conversation. But is it a good sign for the franchise?
The 2023 season, when Dhoni was leading, seemed like a farewell tour for the big man. Everywhere CSK went, their fans materialised. It was one big party for the side and their fans when Ravindra Jadeja won the title off the last ball of a rain-affected thriller before being lifted by Dhoni himself. CSK identified Gaikwad as a successor, handed him the captaincy while Dhoni was still around. The first year did not go as per plans. They missed out on play-offs but the season was not their worst. But last year, CSK started behind the eight ball and never really caught up. To try and revive a flagging franchise, they handed the captaincy back to Dhoni after Gaikwad picked up an injury. It was a big call but one they didn't necessarily get right. They wanted to move on but their succession plan — once it hit a roadblock — seemingly crumbled.
Truth be told, Super Kings admittedly misread the mega auction — head coach Stephen Fleming has said as much multiple times — and are still feeling the effects of it. Because when mistakes are made in a mega auction, it is bound to cost the franchise not just that year but also the three-year cycle. Which is why, despite the course corrections and injury replacement signings, they are still not able to get out of a hole they find themselves in.
Super Kings know it all too well. They were once frontrunners in reading the T20 game, especially the IPL format; five titles and 10 finals is an unbelievable record in a famously fickle game. They are the only franchise to have not changed coaches in over 15 years. They knew what worked and what didn't. They wrote the first grammar of the sport in an Indian context. Now? They are in danger of being left behind. Unless they are willing to embrace a more modern approach.
It showed in the trade where they brought in Sanju Samson and let go of Jadeja. Samson is a crowd puller, someone who can be the face of the franchise post Dhoni. He is an established IPL captain who can step up if it comes to it. However, one move seldom fixes things. That they spent `28.4 crores on two uncapped talents while not securing several international starts in the mini-auction is also catching up.
The biggest question still remains. Is Gaikwad the man for the job? There is no doubt about his talent or batting pedigree. He is a star made in the CSK lab. Signed in 2018 for `20 lakhs, Super Kings allowed him to grow for five years — two of which were title-winning runs where he stepped up with the bat — before handing him the reins. However, it is never easy to fill the shoes of a captain who has won five titles. Even more so when he is still around on the field or in the dugout. It means every move, every mistake, will be compared and scrutinised when they do not work. Only Gaikwad can explain the pressure that comes with it.
While he missed most of the 2025 season, this year was his chance to step out of the shadows and shine as a leader. Dhoni was injured, not coming to the ground on match days, not travelling with the team on away games until last week. But Gaikwad has, simply put, struggling to step up. He knows that there is pressure to deliver. The Maharashtra batter has had one of his worst runs with the bat. There is also the question of tactics, team selection and management of Ayush Mhatre's (who is now ruled out for the season) injury.
It all showed when they went down to SRH last week. Former CSK player R Ashwin did not mince his words whilst talking on JioHotstar. "It was the best chance for him to score runs. He didn't need to take risks or score at a fast pace because of the way Mhatre started. They were running away with the Powerplay. It was right there for Ruturaj to take some time, score some runs, and come back into form. After Mhatre's wicket, Ruturaj got a very good ball, it's not easy to beat him on the pull. I just feel he is under immense pressure, and his mind appears to be a bit cluttered," he said.
On Thursday, with murmurs of Dhoni taking the field — he did keeping practice in Mumbai 48 hours before the game — Super Kings will have multiple questions to answer. How long can they keep going back to the 44-year-old? What is the answer if they do not qualify — they have to win six out of eight to be safe — and who will be held accountable? Thursday's result will tell more.
