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The IPL season brought fresh talk about MS Dhoni’s plans. Nineteen years passed without him stepping onto the field once. Questions floated around like smoke after matches ended. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad of Chennai Super Kings gave no clear signal when pressed on Dhoni’s comeback chances.

Next year, we’ll see how things unfold,” smiled Ruturaj Gaikwad, hinting that Dhoni alone holds the answer. Though his batting has slowed recently, the CSK captain emphasized his quiet strength when pressure builds. Only time reveals what waits ahead; until then, trust stays placed where it always has.

Ruturaj Gaikwad speaks on CSK’s disappointing season

“It’s a hard miss for us. He can come in during those late overs and change the game just by being there at the crease. We don’t know about next season yet, but I’m really happy with the players we have,” Ruturaj Gaikwad explained.

Out went CSK’s IPL 2026 journey, flattened by an 89-run loss to the Gujarat Titans. A steep climb of 230 awaited them. From the first ball, hope flickered low.

“When you are chasing 230, it’s never easy against a bowling attack like theirs. The wicket was slightly spongy early on, and they started brilliantly. Our bowling in the power play wasn’t good enough, and it became difficult to contain their openers. We had opportunities to keep them below 200 but failed to do so,” Gaikwad admitted.

Early struggles weighed on the squad throughout much of the campaign, though the captain of the Chennai Super Kings. A slow start made things harder than they needed to be later on.

“It was a tough season. After losing three matches in a row, we were always trying to catch up. We eventually found some momentum and identified the right combinations, but injuries hurt us badly. Losing

Ramakrishna Ghosh and Jamie Overton unsettled the balance of the side, and in the final few matches, we were either a batter or a bowler short.”

Right now, CSK is shifting gears after losing a few seasoned players, Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted. Though changes have shaken things up, the core intent remains clear – adaptation without skipping a beat. With veterans gone, younger names step forward, not by choice but necessity. Even so, the rhythm stays familiar under new skin. What was once led by experience now leans on rising energy. Still, the aim hasn’t changed one bit.

Over half the group never saw twenty IPL matches unfold on their own. That gap showed itself when pressure built through the campaign. Yet six victories outside home ground stand firm as real progress.