Chennai Super Kings have been officially knocked out of the IPL 2026 playoff hunt after dropping their last three matches of the season. The side’s struggles have been laid at the door of injuries and a thin bench following a major reshuffle in the previous mega auction, but one issue has continued to loom large: how the franchise handled its biggest living icon, MS Dhoni. In a campaign where the spotlight was expected to revisit the veteran at least towards the end, Dhoni didn’t feature in a single game.
With the final two fixtures of the season approaching, supporters were hoping for a late return in CSK colours. However, the wicketkeeper-batter was judged unfit, and his availability became something of a moving target for fans and analysts alike. Even so, it appears the management had already accounted for the limited likelihood of Dhoni stepping back into the XI. The 44-year-old never even came close to taking the field, yet CSK chose not to name an injury replacement. By the time the season concluded, it looked less like a squad-building decision and more like a choice to keep the “Dhoni mania” narrative alive, even at the cost of leaving the team short when points were most critical.
Gaikwad’s pride, and the problem of a “limited squad”
After CSK’s damaging defeat against SRH in their last home game of the season, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad attempted to draw positives from a difficult ending. He acknowledged the constraints, but insisted the team had still tried to execute their best combinations. “I think still, given the team that we had and limited squad and whatever best combinations we had, I’m still proud and I still feel we did well,” Gaikwad said.
Gaikwad’s pride is understandable, but the phrase “limited squad” only underlines why the decision-making around Dhoni has become the centre of debate. If CSK had moved to officially replace the sidelined Dhoni, they could have added a fresh option to a group that already lacked flexibility. Instead, the campaign continued with the same imbalance, and the consequences became more visible as the tournament progressed.
The cracks in CSK’s season were apparent early, and a shortage of depth made every subsequent injury hit harder. Speaking after the loss to Gujarat Titans—the team’s final match of the season—Gaikwad mapped out how the run began to slip after an initial struggle. He did not shy away from the impact of missing key players, while also pointing to how the side’s shape and rhythm were repeatedly disrupted.
“Well, tough season to start, especially the hat-trick of losses. And then after that, once we found that momentum, obviously we found guys playing at the right spot, the right combination, everything started working,” Gaikwad explained. “And then obviously, a couple of injuries again and again. Didn’t really help much, especially missing out Jamie and another all-rounder in Ramakrishna Ghosh, kind of unsettled our playing 12. We were always playing a batter short or playing a bowler short in whatever last three games we played.”
Sentiment over squad management
Gaikwad’s comments about CSK being forced into the last three games either “a batter short” or “a bowler short” bring the tactical concern into sharper focus. The core of the problem is that the squad carried an unfit player whose presence did not translate into on-field participation. Dhoni, who never appeared to be match-ready throughout the season, still remained part of the squad picture without prompting the franchise to adjust with a replacement.
In the cutthroat environment of the IPL, sentiment rarely delivers silverware, and this year has served as a reminder for Chennai. By placing nostalgia and brand value ahead of practical squad management, CSK ultimately found themselves too short-handed at the business end of the competition—leaving them to learn a hard lesson in 2026.
