The long wait and endless talk around MS Dhoni’s future in the IPL has yet again hit the market after the auction for the next season ended on December 16. The former Indian and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Robin Uthappa has now made a bold remark on MS Dhoni’s IPL future.
Uthappa believes that the upcoming IPL 2026 season is most likely going to be Dhoni’s final year as a player. He reckoned that Dhoni is slowly getting ready to move into a full-time mentoring role within the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp.
The 44-year-old legend is still a big presence for the five-time champions. The legendary wicketkeeper-batter continues to keep wickets, steps in as a finisher when needed, and remains the calm leader everyone looks up to at the CSK camp.
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Robin Uthappa was quoted as saying by JioHotstar: “I think the writing is on the wall. This is clearly going to be MS Dhoni's last season. No more conjecture, no more speculation about whether he is going to play another year or not. This year, he will be well and truly done.”
Uthappa feels the franchise is preparing for the future without Dhoni on the field the way they have been building their squad over the last couple of seasons. Chennai Super Kings’ focus on young players has become very obvious. Last season, CSK trusted youngsters like Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, and Urvil Patel, and that move paid off.
Robin Uthappa says CSK prepares for the future without MS Dhoni
And then at the IPL 2026 Auction in Abu Dhabi, the franchise showed full confidence in young and uncapped Indian players. CSK shocked everyone by spending a huge ₹28.4 crore on just two youngsters. The 19-year-old all-rounder Prashant Veer and 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma became the most expensive uncapped Indian players ever in an IPL auction.
Overall, Chennai spent ₹41 crore to sign nine players, which clearly shows they are building a team for the long run. There were also big changes to the core group. Ravindra Jadeja was traded to the Rajasthan Royals, while Sarfaraz Khan and Rahul Chahar were brought in.
These moves suggest a fresh start and a new direction. Uthappa believes that this fits perfectly with Dhoni’s changing role, where his experience and guidance can help shape the next generation of CSK players.
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MS Dhoni will operate as a mentor-cum-player in IPL 2026: Robin Uthappa
He further explained, “I think all the signs point towards that when you look at the investment in youth and the kind of teams they have picked since last year. They are focused on developing talent, uncovering talent, and keeping that talent within the franchise. It's a fair call. If you can develop another Jadeja with the kind of mentorship MS Dhoni provides, along with the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad, why not? That's the direction you want to move in.”
The former Indian batter felt Dhoni already sees himself as a mentor who also plays when needed. Uthappa signed off by saying, “We all know that if he is not playing, he will be mentoring the side. I think this year he will operate as a mentor-cum-player. He is already viewing things from that perspective, which is why they are bringing in players like these.”
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