New Delhi, March 21 – Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa said he expects MS Dhoni’s 2026 IPL to be his final year playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), adding that the five-time champions should focus on retaining Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain instead of replacing him with Sanju Samson.
At 44, veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Dhoni will be playing in his 19th edition of the IPL. “I don’t think CSK should hand over the leadership duties to Sanju Samson. You need to give Ruturaj Gaikwad time to settle as captain. He has been leading the team since 2024. No matter what people say, he is emerging from MS Dhoni’s shadow.
“You want him to emerge completely and stand on his own. You want to see what he can produce. You want him to lead the team when MS is not playing and stand on his own, without that overwhelming feeling of always being under that pressure. So I think you can see Dhoni being a bit more hands-off.
“IPL 2026 is likely to be his last year in the yellow jersey. I see him playing more of a mentor-cum-player role this year. I don’t see him batting at number seven. I see him batting at number eight. Knowing that he is nearing the end of his career, he wants to transition.
“I think he will do that. Only then will we see the true potential of Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain. Give him a few years. If it doesn’t work, you always have Sanju Samson in the team to handle the captaincy duties,” said Uthappa on JioStar.
Uthappa also cast doubt on the title prospects of the 2016 winners, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), saying their aggressive batting approach may not be enough to win without stronger bowling support. SRH has injury issues with regular skipper Pat Cummins and Eshan Malinga, who are nursing injuries and are likely to be unavailable for the initial stage of the competition.
SRH, to be led by Ishan Kishan, will open their IPL 2026 campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28. “SRH’s aggressive batting is entertaining to watch. But batting like that won’t help them win the IPL. Their bowling is a bit on the weaker side. Bowlers are the ones who make you win the trophy. In Hyderabad, where they play seven matches, the pitch is a batting paradise. It is a super belter wicket.
“Even someone like Mohammed Shami could not be penetrative on those flat wickets. You need a bowler like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He is a very clever guy. He swings the ball, changes pace, bowls yorkers. At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, you don't want to put too much pace on the ball because the ball does not seam around much.
“I don’t think SRH have the bowling unit right now that can back the instability their aggressive batting can cause if the top order does not fire. We saw what happened last season. Apart from Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen, no other batter was able to step up. When the top order failed, the bowlers were not able to defend the totals. So I won’t consider SRH as a serious title contender this season,” he concluded.