The former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up about MS Dhoni’s role for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming IPL 2026. Ashwin feels fans might see MS Dhoni batting much higher this season, instead of coming in at No. 8 or No. 9 like last season.
MS Dhoni trains hard after tough IPL 2025
There is massive excitement among the CSK fans after photos and videos of MS Dhoni’s IPL 2026 practice sessions went viral on social media. MS Dhoni looked active, fit, and fully involved in training, which surprised many fans, as things were not easy for him in the last season.
He came out to bat only after the sixth or seventh wicket had fallen, leaving him very little time to make a difference, and he could not even score 200 runs for the five-time champions. MS Dhoni’s poor form lower down the order had a big impact on the Chennai Super Kings.
Your daily dose of cricket!
Read Also: Virat Kohli gets involved in ICC vs Bangladesh T20 World Cup controversy
The team struggled throughout the season and finished at the bottom of the points table, which was the worst season in CSK’s history. Because of this, many people started wondering whether Dhoni would even play much in IPL 2026 or if the previous season was his last.
It looks like he got motivated seeing Imran Tahir – Ravichandran Ashwin hints at big change in MS Dhoni’s batting role for IPL 2026
However, Ashwin believes that Dhoni looks fully ready for the IPL 2026. From the way Dhoni is training, the former CSK all-rounder feels he is not preparing to bat at the end of the innings. He also hinted that seeing senior players like Imran Tahir still performing may have given Dhoni fresh motivation.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “Dhoni looks set to play, as he has already started practicing. He’s looking fit. Some said he may not play in the 11, or this might be his last season. But it looks like he got motivated seeing Imran Tahir. Looking at him, it doesn’t look like he’ll bat at No. 9. He looks like he’ll come out to bat at No. 3 in the power play and be the enforcer, the way he has begun practice.”
He also called CSK’s new batting line-up, featuring Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Karthik Sharma, and Prashant Veer, as one of the strongest in the IPL. He praised the team management for smart scouting and bold decisions.
Read Also: BCCI to groom Team Nepal to replace Bangladesh in international cricket
CSK’s new power-packed batting line-up could trouble bowlers all season
Ashwin feels this group has the power to dominate any bowling attack. He added, “They’ve scouted very well and boast a powerhouse of a batting lineup. You ask, how are teams going to stop this batting lineup? Even a 200 to 200 becomes really difficult for teams to stop CSK.”
The former Indian all-rounder also mentioned that Jamie Overton is in “great form” and adding more strength to the side, and backed Ayush Mhatre to shine for CSK in the IPL 2026, no matter how his ICC Under-19 World Cup goes.
Ashwin believes that if CSK get their balance right and build momentum early, their batting can trouble bowlers throughout the tournament. And if Dhoni really starts batting higher up the order, IPL 2026 could turn into a very special season for CSK fans.
He signed off by saying, “Only the combination CSK decides to go with is to be seen. CSK’s batting is a tough one to stop. If they get the combination and momentum right, that is a batting lineup that’s really going to make work very difficult for bowlers around the tournament.”