Dhoni says he will decide before December on another IPL season, calling himself an old vintage car
India's World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has finally spoken about his future in the IPL. The Chennai Super Kings star has indicated he will decide before December whether he will play another season, comparing himself to an old vintage car.
For the past few years, discussion about Dhoni's future before the start of an IPL season has become routine. Curiosity about one of the tournament's most successful captains persists even before a season ends. With whispers again circulating about whether he will play, Dhoni has now broken his silence himself.
Dhoni spent the whole of the 2026 IPL on the sidelines. Fitness problems kept him out of that edition. He spoke about the coming IPL at a healthcare event in Bengaluru.
During the event, Dhoni was asked whether he wanted to play one more season. He joked in reply that the doctor would have to run his tests and give him the report, and that before December he would have to see how strong he was for another season.
He added that if he was not strong enough, the doctors would have to make sure everything was done properly with him so that this old vintage car could still run well on the road. In his words, all the pressure was on the doctors.
Although he did not play in the most recent IPL, in earlier seasons Dhoni's role in Chennai's batting line-up had already been limited. The wicketkeeper-batter was sent in during the slog overs, where he could contribute to the total with late fours and sixes and set the crowd alight.
Dhoni is among the leading batters in IPL history. In 278 matches and 242 innings, he has scored 5,439 runs at an average of 38.30 with 24 fifties, standing seventh on the list of highest run-scorers.
His record as captain is even brighter. He led Chennai to five IPL titles and two Champions League titles. Very few captains in Indian cricket history have enjoyed such sustained success.
Since 2024, under Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy, Chennai seem to have lost their rhythm. In the last two seasons they finished last and eighth respectively. The last time the team won the IPL trophy was in 2023, under Dhoni's leadership.
Against that backdrop, Chennai supporters are watching closely for Dhoni's decision. Many believe his return could bring a major change in the team's leadership and experience, while his stepping away would mark the end of an era.
Dhoni has said he will make his position clear before December. Until then the speculation will continue — whether this old vintage car returns to the field is now the biggest question for IPL lovers.
