Former Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni has given plenty of credit to rival franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Speaking at a healthcare event in Bengaluru on October 24, the Chennai Super Kings icon
looked straight at the scoreboard of the past two seasons and gave credit where it was due.
“Last two years we have struggled, it’s a fact. No point shying away from the fact and RCB has done really really well. RCB have consistently performed in the last two years and we haven’t done that,” Dhoni said.
MS DHONI ON RCB & CSK. [ANI]
“Over the last two years, we’ve (CSK) struggled & that’s a fact. There’s no point in shying away from it. RCB has done really, really well & that’s how life is – RCB has performed consistently over the last couple of years, whereas we haven’t”. https://t.co/WPBeD12fbW
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 25, 2026
Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted the trophy in 2025 and defended it successfully in 2026 under Rajat Patidar. Meanwhile CSK, five-time champions, finished last in 2025 and eighth in 2026. Dhoni himself missed out the entire IPL 2026 campaign with fitness issues.
“How good you are on paper hardly matters. How good you are on that particular day is something which is the most important. When we are winning, we knew that there will come a point when we will start losing, and the real test of character is when you’re not doing well.” Dhoni said.
Chennai Super Kings’ struggles over the last few IPL seasons
One of the most successful franchises in the history of IPL, Chennai Super Kings finished 10th in IPL 2025 and it was also for the first time in franchise history that they ended up in the last place.
In that season, CSK managed just four wins from 14 matches. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s early injury forced Dhoni back into the leadership role, but the results did not improve. Five home defeats in a single season marked another unwanted first. The side that once prided itself on process and composure looked short of both.
They followed it up with an eighth-place finish in 2026. They were without Dhoni on the field due to fitness concerns and the team showed occasional flashes but never sustained momentum, ending the league stage in eighth. The contrast with their own recent past is sharp with titles in 2021 and 2023 now feel like a different era. Injuries, form dips, and a thinning core of match-winners have all played their part in these losses.
Their Head-to-head results against the newly dominant RCB have been particularly one-sided. These results have also caused a change in the coaching staff as after 18 years, CSK moved on with Stephen Fleming and have appointed Zaheer Khan as the coach.
