MS Dhoni missed the entirety of the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year after struggling with injury concerns. He was with the squad and even joined
the team on the ground in some games, but fans couldn't get to see the legendary cricketer in action, hitting those towering sixes and bamboozling batters with his lightning-fast glovework. Dhoni will turn 45 years old in less than a month.
He has been dealing with knee issues in the last few seasons, and IPL 2027 might finally be his swansong, as the mega auction will take place ahead of IPL 2028. This year, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) finished eighth on the points table under Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy.
The five-time champions did miss Dhoni's presence on the field. His experience of the game has proven to be very crucial in match situations over the years. CSK also missed the wicketkeeper-batter's ability to finish games. In IPL 2027, Chennai should look to prepare themselves for life beyond MS Dhoni. Let's take a look at three players who can replace the stalwart in CSK's squad from next season.
Here are 3 potential replacements for MS Dhoni in CSK in 2027:
3. Urvil Patel
Urvil Patel has played 10 matches so far for CSK, and all of them have been as a specialist batter. However, he is actually a proper wicketkeeper. Urvil is 27 years old and has a lot of time on his side to improve, both as a wicketkeeper and as a batter.
From his first two seasons at CSK, it is clear that the Mehsana-born has talent and can hit the ball as well as his contemporaries. He has an impressive strike rate of 205.21. If he can work on his shot selection, he could have a great season for CSK next year.
2. Kartik Sharma
Kartik Sharma was roped in by CSK for a whopping INR 14.20 crore at the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The wicketkeeper-batter from Rajasthan had a slow start to the campaign, but his performances got better as the season progressed.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished with 295 runs in 11 innings at an average of 32.78 and a strike rate of 136.58. He looks like a solid batter who plays spin really well. The 20-year-old could be a long-time servant for the Chennai-based franchise, as he is the youngest player among the three on this list.
1. Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson was traded in from the Rajasthan Royals last season. He seems to be the immediate fix to fill MS Dhoni's void. After CSK's dismal performance in IPL 2026, many believe that Samson should be given captaincy ahead of next season. Ruturaj Gaikwad didn't score too many runs, and experts believe that he can rediscover his form if the pressure of captaincy is taken off his shoulders.
Samson blew hot and cold during the season, eventually finishing with 477 runs in 14 matches at an average of 43.36 and a strike rate of 165.63. He scored two centuries and one half-century during his maiden season with the Men in Yellow.
