MS Dhoni has indicated that Ruturaj Gaikwad’s return will significantly strengthen the Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) batting lineup for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. Gaikwad’s participation in the 2025 season was limited due to an elbow injury, restricting him to just five matches.
“We are slightly worried about our batting order,” Dhoni stated at an event in Chennai. “But I think our batting order is quite sorted out now. Rutu (Gaikwad) will be coming back. He got injured. But he will be coming back. So, we are quite sorted now.”
After Dhoni resumed captaincy last season, CSK aimed to improve their performance, but the team finished at the bottom of the table. They only secured victory in four out of fourteen matches, highlighting their overall struggles throughout the season.
Dhoni acknowledged the need to address team weaknesses in the upcoming mini-auction. Gaikwad, who last played competitively on April 8 against Punjab Kings, had also been signed by Yorkshire for a county contract but withdrew due to personal reasons. He is expected to return to domestic cricket with the West Zone team in the Duleep Trophy 2025–26 later this month.
“Yes, the last couple of years have not been good for us,” Dhoni noted. “We have not been up to the mark. But what is important is for you to see the learnings. Yes, you had a bad season. But what went wrong? And that was the question for us last year also.
“We were like, ‘okay, there are some shortcomings’. But first we needed to exactly figure out what were the shortcomings and then look at solutions. I feel more often than not we have been able to figure out what exactly went wrong. In sports, you know you can have a very good time and at the same time there will be periods when you won’t be performing well. In CSK, more often than not, we are on the higher side.
“So, we do talk about the processes. But at the same time we do want the result to come to our side. Last year it wasn’t there. But looking ahead, we will try to sort out most of the things, and we will hopefully be at our best.”
Dhoni admitted CSK’s performance has not been satisfactory in the past few seasons. He emphasized the importance of reviewing and tackling key problem areas before the next season. He also spoke about his long-standing relationship with the CSK franchise and how it has shaped him as a cricketer and a person.
