CSK Without Dhoni, Raina, Jadeja: A First

• CSK faces RR without Dhoni, Raina, or Jadeja for the first time in IPL history.
• Dhoni, Raina & Jadeja formed CSK’s core for 19 years; Dhoni has over 5,000 runs.
• Dhoni’s calf injury sidelines him initially; this match signals CSK’s future direction.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)’s match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Monday at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati is a landmark moment in IPL. This is the first match in the 19-year history of the competition

that CSK will field a team without MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, or Ravindra Jadeja.

While Dhoni and Raina were with CSK from the first day, Jadeja came in during the initial years and made himself as important as the former two. Raina retired from IPL in September 2022, and either Dhoni or Jadeja were part of CSK’s 11 for every match since.

Before IPL 2026, Jadeja switched allegiances to Rajasthan Royals, in a high-profile trade that involved Sanju Samson coming the other way to Chennai. Dhoni was still around for this season, but the former skipper has suffered a calf injury, which would keep him out of at least the first two weeks of the season.

Dhoni, Raina and Jadeja’s achievements for CSK

This truly marks the beginning of the end of an era. The trio, alongside some other players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Murali Vijay, made CSK what they are today — an IPL behemoth.

As the franchise’s foundational leader, Dhoni steered CSK to a record ten IPL finals and twelve playoff appearances. Beyond his astute captaincy, he is the only wicket-keeper to exceed 200 dismissals in the league and has amassed over 5,000 runs, cementing his reputation as the game’s premier finisher.

Known as the “Chinna Thala,” Raina was the first player to cross the 5,000-run milestone in the IPL. His consistent run-scoring and exceptional fielding, highlighted by over 100 catches, made him the franchise’s most reliable asset during their dominant decade.

Jadeja’s legacy is defined by his ‘triple crown’: being the first player to record 1,000 runs, 100 wickets, and 100 catches in the IPL. His match-winning boundary in the 2023 final remains one of the most iconic moments in the club’s history.

While it’s not confirmed, Dhoni could retire after this season, and this match, plus all those where the wicketkeeper would be absent, would show how CSK are looking ahead to the future.