Legendary Indian wicketkeeper-batter and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will play for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is all set to start on March
28. The 44-year-old cricketer, who is the most capped player in the cash-rich league’s history, was recently spotted on a flight to Chennai which turned into a mini stadium after fans spotted him in the aircraft.
The legendary cricketer from Ranchi was welcomed with loud cheers by fans, and he acknowledged their warm reception by waving the boarding pass.
Here’s a look:
#MSDhoni on his way to #Chennai after attending #WT20 finals🔥💛#Thala #CSK #ChennaiSuperKings #India #INDvsNZ #Mahi @ChennaiIPL @CSKFansOfficial @msdhoni pic.twitter.com/WFaIW3XSQO
— Sarvajit Krishna Mohan (@SarvajitKM) March 9, 2026
Dhoni was present at the Wankhede Stadium and Narendra Modi Stadium last week to cheer for Team India in their semi-final and final matches of the T20 World Cup 2026. In fact, in the final he also walked out with the trophy along with India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning team captain Rohit Sharma.
Dhoni to captain CSK?
Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings in 10 matches of IPL 2026 after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the tournament due to an elbow fracture. But despite his return as leader, CSK failed to live up to the expectations and, for the first time in the history of the IPL, finished at the bottom of the points table. In CSK, Dhoni and Gaikwad both will represent Chennai Super Kings, but instead of Dhoni, the Chennai-based franchise will play under the leadership of Gaikwad.
Gaikwad, who was retained by CSK for Rs 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, was appointed as CSK captain ahead of the start of IPL 2024. In his first season as captain of CSK in the IPL, Gaikwad failed to help Chennai Super Kings qualify for the final.
Samson to play for CSK
Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who won the Player Of The Tournament award in the T20 World Cup 2026, will play for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2026. The 31-year-old cricketer from Kerala joined CSK in a trade deal from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 auction in November 2025. In exchange for Samson, who is RR’s most capped player as well as their captain, CSK traded Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to the Jaipur-based franchise.
