Former Chennai Super Kings star Suresh Raina has shared details of his recent conversation with legendary wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni regarding his IPL future. The discussion took place after CSK’s IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on May 18.
There were strong rumours before the game that it could be Dhoni’s final appearance in the Indian Premier League. However, the former India captain was not included in the playing XI. He remained on the bench throughout the match as he continues to recover from injury problems.
Dhoni has struggled with fitness during the 2026 season. Reports suggest that he has been dealing with a calf injury for a long time. Because of this, he has missed almost the entire tournament. With only one league-stage match left for CSK, fans are still waiting to see if Dhoni will return to the field one last time.
Raina opens up on his chat with Dhoni
After the match, Raina met Dhoni on the ground and spoke to him about returning for IPL 2027. The former CSK batter later revealed the conversation during the post-match show on Star Sports.
“I told MS Dhoni ‘you have given IPL 2026 a missed call. It won’t count. You have to come back next year’. He said ‘nahi yaar, body thoda waisa hai (my body is a little weak)’. I said ‘we are not believing anything. You have to play next year’. It’s his personal call. I think he is positive. The team is also gelling well again,” Raina told Star Sports during the post-match show.
Dhoni has not yet made any official statement about retirement. Fans will now wait eagerly to see whether the CSK legend returns for another IPL season.
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