Mahendra Singh Dhoni's status as one of the all-time greats of the game will never be in doubt but prolonging his career for another season to bid farewell to the fans doesn't make sense in a competitive league like the IPL.
It turned out to be another nightmare season for Chennai Super Kings as they missed the IPL playoffs for the third season in a row.
The five-time champions managed just six wins from 14 games to finish a lowly eighth in IPL 2026.
After starting the season with three straight defeats, they bounced back with six wins from eight games before they stumbled in the last few games and missed out on the playoffs.
Once regarded as the Invincibles of IPL, CSK's consistency was just unbelievable during the Dhoni captaincy. From 2008 to 2019, excluding two seasons when they were banned in 2016 and 2017, CSK made it to the playoffs for 10 seasons in a row, winning the title thrice and finishing runners up five times.
But they have hit a roadblock since 2020, struggling to replicate their consistency. Despite winning two titles in the last seven seasons, they have crashed out in the league stage in the other five editions.
Things look grim for CSK, and they must act fast -- unless they go in for a big reset in the mini auction ahead of the next season, CSK could find it difficult to return to their glory days of the past.
Although sticking with their core group has traditionally been CSK's big strength since the start of the IPL, it has proved to be a big stumbling block in the last three seasons, with several of their experienced players failing to deliver the goods.
A look at major changes CSK could consider for IPL 2027:
Will Dhoni Play In IPL 2027?
There is no doubt that CSK missed the presence of their talisman Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the field.
Ruturaj Gaikwad had a season to forget with the bat and his captaincy also lacked conviction when it came to team selection and on-field calls. Obviously, he didn't have the luxury of turning to the experienced Dhoni when he was struggling for ideas, especially or whenever the going got tough on the field.
Much of the focus of CSK's fans this season was on whether Dhoni would play or not. He came into the IPL carrying a calf injury and just when it looked he was inching closer to a comeback, a thumb injury ruled him out of the last few games, making him miss an entire IPL season for the first time in his career.
It has been more than a year since Dhoni played a competitive match, having last played for CSK in IPL 2025. He only made a brief appearance in the CSK's yellow jersey for the team photograph during the final home game of the season.
CSK would do well to move on from Dhoni the player and instead use his astute reading of the game to add value to their coaching team.
Even if Dhoni had played this season, he would have featured only in a couple of games as an Impact Player for the last few overs of the innings. Therefore, it would make sense for CSK to free up a berth in their squad and sign up an experienced player who adds value to the squad.
Dhoni's status as one of the all-time greats in the IPL will never be in doubt and prolonging his career for another season to bid farewell to the fans doesn't make sense in such a competitive league like the IPL.
Dhoni, who will turn 45 in July, is not a believer in farewells and it won't be a surprise if he quietly hangs up his gloves before IPL 2027.
Injuries Hit CSK Hard This Season
CSK were also hit hard by injuries to their key players.
Fast bowler Nathan Ellis couldn't take part in the tournament because of injury, while key players like Ayush Mhatre, Khaleel Ahmed and Jamie Overton picked up injuries during the season.
Young Mhatre had been in great touch, smashing 201 runs in six games at a strike rate of 177.87, and his absence clearly weakened the batting line-up.
Overton shouldered the bowling responsibility quite well, taking 14 wickets in as many games, and his absence during the last couple of games proved vital.
CSK also need a big overhaul of the Indian group in the seam bowling department as Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary and Gurjapneet Singh struggled to contain the flow of runs.
Samson To Replace Gaikwad As CSK Captain?
CSK have struggled since Dhoni stepped down as captain. Their last title came under Dhoni in IPL 2023, after which they have slipped down the ranks.
Gaikwad has not been able to inspire CSK to rise to the top, with team failing in three consecutive seasons under him.
While there is a big question mark over his captaincy, Gaikwad's bat has gone quiet, too. This season he hasn't been able to make decisive contributions with the bat.
His struggles are reflected in his disappointing strike rate of 123.44 -- the lowest among the specialist batters in the CSK line-up -- in scoring 337 runs in 14 matches with two fifties.
CSK could look at Sanju Samson as a captaincy candidate, considering his good record as the captain for Rajasthan Royals. Samson excelled in his debut season for CSK, smashing 477 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 165.62, with two fifties and a century.
Jadeja's Departure Hurt CSK
Ravindra Jadeja's departure has left a gaping hole in the CSK line-up. The all-rounder was integral to CSK's three title triumphs in 2018, 2021 and 2023, and he has had a stellar career for the franchise, with 150-plus wickets and over 2,300 runs.
During CSK's last title triumph in 2023, he starred with the ball with 20 wickets and had made 190 runs at a strike rate of 142.85.
He joined Rajasthan Royals in a shock trade-off ahead of this season. CSK were not able to find a worthy replacement for Jadeja in the mini auction. They spent big to sign spin bowling all-rounder Prashant Veer for Rs 14.20 crore at the auction but he hardly played this season.
In six games, the young left-arm spinner sent down just two overs -- in which he went wicketless -- while scoring 90 runs in 67 balls faced.
Big Names Failed To Impress
Kartik Sharma, who was also signed for Rs 14.20 crore, failed to justify the huge price tag. It didn't make sense for CSK to splurge so much on a youngster as they already had Samson and Urvil Patel in their ranks as wicketkeepers, while Dhoni also provided cover in case emergency struck.
Kartik had a difficult start in his debut season before he played some useful knocks to finish with 295 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 136.57, with two fifties.
Another costly purchase -- leg-spinner Rahul Chahar, bought for Rs 5.20 crore -- featured in just one match in which he went wicketless.
Lead spinner Noor Ahmad also could not make an impact with the ball. And though he bagged 13 wickets in 14 games, he went for more than eight runs per over.
West Indian spinner Akeal Hosein fared above expectations in his debut season as he picked up eight wickets in seven matches, mostly bowling the difficult overs in the Powerplay.
Among the batters, the overseas duo of Dewald Brevis and Matt Short struggled to make a mark, and this proved to be a big factor in the team's lacklustre batting performances this season.
Time up for Stephen Fleming?
Stephen Fleming, who like Dhoni has been at CSK since day one, could also be heading for the exit door.
Fleming has been the most successful coach in the IPL, guiding CSK to five IPL titles since taking over the role in 2009. The Kiwi is renowned as a master tactician but in recent years, he has not been able to work his magic.
If Dhoni hangs up his gloves, CSK could seek a fresh approach and go in for a young, dynamic coach who could stay long-term like Fleming.
Or CSK might want to stick with Fleming for another year to guide them through the tough transition period.
