CSK finished eighth in IPL 2026 with 12 points, missing out on a place in the playoffs for a third straight season. Dhoni didn’t play a single game due to injury. Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has hinted that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) icon MS Dhoni could take up a mentorship role at the franchise during the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin opened up about the interesting dynamics that could take shape at CSK following the arrival of Zaheer Khan as head coach.
So how Gaikwad works with Zaheer, or whether he goes to Dhoni, will be interesting to see,” said Ashwin. “With the new coaching staff, it’ll be interesting to watch the dynamic between Dhoni, Zaheer and Ruturaj Gaikwad . Dhoni will likely be the mentor.
Ashwin also spoke about the departure of long-serving head coach Stephen Fleming , whose partnership with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad did not yield the same success that he enjoyed alongside MS Dhoni. “Fleming seemingly modified himself to fit in with Dhoni. He made himself the perfect fingers to fit into Dhoni’s gloves. So it is surprising to see CSK decide that Fleming couldn’t adapt himself to a new captain after two to three years. Fleming’s modus operandi is to fit in based on the needs of the team and captain,” he added.
