Former India opener and 1983 World Cup winner Krishnamachari Srikkanth has strongly criticised Chennai Super Kings (CSK) management over the handling of MS Dhoni’s availability during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Dhoni did not feature in a single game for CSK this season after suffering multiple injury setbacks, including calf and thumb issues. However, the franchise repeatedly hinted at a possible comeback throughout the tournament, which eventually frustrated many fans and experts.
Srikkanth slams CSK over Dhoni situation
Srikkanth questioned CSK’s approach and stated that the franchise should have clearly informed fans from the beginning that Dhoni would miss the entire season instead of creating uncertainty ahead of almost every game.
"They kept saying he'll be ready for the next match. After that, they'll fool fans with some video of him in the nets. Then they kept saying he reinjured himself," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
"They should first stop all this foolishness. Instead, you should have just said MS Dhoni is not going to play the entire season," he added.
The former India captain further said fans would have accepted the reality much earlier had the management been transparent regarding the situation.
"If you did that, fans would have been mentally prepared. Ruturaj Gaikwad kept saying the big man will be available next match. That's where the management and captain should have been forthright," Srikkanth stated.
He also made a bold statement regarding Dhoni’s absence from the playing XI.
"To be honest, nobody is missing Dhoni in the matches. They only ask why he's not there in the dressing room. But other than that, nobody is asking why he's not playing in the matches. The Dhoni era is over," he added.
MS Dhoni missed entire IPL 2026 campaign
Dhoni initially suffered a calf strain before the start of IPL 2026, ruling him out for the early phase of the tournament.
Later, CSK management confirmed that the veteran wicketkeeper-batter suffered another setback during recovery, which delayed his possible return further.
Ahead of CSK’s final home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the franchise also revealed that Dhoni had sustained a thumb injury.
Although Dhoni was present at the stadium during CSK’s clash against SRH, he only interacted with players and took a brief lap around the ground without participating in the game.
CSK’s disappointing IPL 2026 campaign eventually ended after their defeat against the Gujarat Titans (GT), which officially knocked them out of playoff contention.
MS Dhoni reportedly left the camp before CSK’s final fixture of the season.