When CSK took on SRH in Match 63 of IPL 2026, there was speculation ahead of the game that MS Dhoni might play. There was also talk that this could be his farewell game as it was the last home match for CSK. But when the teams were announced, there was no ‘Thala’ in the playing XI and neither was he an impact player.
‘Thala’ for a ReasonBut despite ‘Thala’ not playing, his sheer presence at the ground put the crowd into a frenzy. The euphoria reached its peak when the legend himself came out at the end of CSK’s innings wearing the jersey. Was this it? The retirement every CSK fan had dreaded for the last few years looked inevitable. But it was not to be.
No Retirement AnnouncementThe ending was pretty much anticlimactic. The reason Dhoni came out wearing the CSK jersey was a team photo. CSK have a tradition of taking a photo during their last home game which was the case over here. Of course, no photo can be complete without ‘Thala’ in the mix, regardless of whether he is playing or not. The photoshoot was concluded, Dhoni waved to the fans, spoke to his own players and interacted with SRH’s cricketers as well and it was time to resume the game.
SRH Enter Playoffs and Take GT with ThemThe match itself was not one to remember for CSK. After posting 180/7, they went down to SRH by five wickets with an over to spare. SRH have qualified for the Playoffs to join RCB and this win also cleared the path for GT. CSK’s chances are now slimmer with one game left vs GT on May 21.
© X/IPL
By not playing a single game this season, Dhoni’s record of most IPL appearances was broken by Virat Kohli. At the moment he leads with 280 games while Rohit Sharma is 2nd with 279 and Dhoni 3rd on 278. Since Kohli will be playing some mor games as RCB are in the next round, he will have a lead over Rohit and Dhoni when IPL 2026 ends.
Is IPL 2026 MS Dhoni’s Farewell?It is not clear if Dhoni will play CSK’s last league game or in the Playoffs should they make it. There is no official word if IPL 2026 is his last season or whether he will be back or not in 2027. Until ‘Thala’ himself makes the announcement, everything is just conjecture.
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