Former India Captain and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Legend MS Dhoni has signaled his intent ahead of IPL 2026 after visuals of his practice session in Ranchi went viral on social media on Saturday. The Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) shared a short video on Instagram showing Dhoni padding up and taking guard in the nets, captioning it, “Look who is back. Pride of JSCA: Mahendra Singh Dhoni.” The clip quickly caught the attention of fans, sparking excitement over the 44-year-old’s readiness for the upcoming season.

Dhoni remains CSK’s marquee player despite a difficult IPL 2025, where the five-time champions finished at the bottom of the table with just four wins in 14 matches. Dhoni scored 196 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17 and also captained the side in skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s absence due to injury.

With Gaikwad currently in strong domestic form, CSK will look to bounce back in IPL 2026, aiming for a historic sixth title. The franchise has also strengthened its squad, most notably with the arrival of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, a move that has put renewed focus on Dhoni’s evolving role within the team.

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CSK’s rebuilding phase has been supported by the emergence of young hitters such as Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, and Urvil Patel, while the franchise made headlines at the auction by securing uncapped players Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma for ₹14.20 crore each—the highest bids for uncapped players in IPL history.

Despite recent struggles, Dhoni’s IPL record remains among the finest in the tournament’s history. He has amassed 5,439 runs in 278 matches at an average of 38.80 and a strike rate of 137.45, with 24 half-centuries and a best score of 84 not out. As IPL 2026 approaches, CSK supporters will hope that the veteran finisher can once again rise to the occasion.

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