CSK Confirm Dhoni Will Don the Gloves Again, Samson's Role Set to Shift
Chennai Super Kings have set the IPL 2026 rumour mill ablaze after assistant coach Michael Hussey confirmed that MS Dhoni is set to return as the franchise's primary wicketkeeper, moving away from the Impact Player role he occupied through parts of last season. The revelation puts to rest weeks of speculation over the 44-year-old's fitness and future role within the Yellow Brigade, while also opening up a fresh conversation around the team's balance heading into the new campaign.
Hussey was careful to stress that the franchise is in no rush to push their veteran captain back into first-team duties before he is fully prepared. Dhoni is still working his way back from a calf issue that kept him sidelined for a stretch, and CSK's think tank appears determined to let him dictate his own recovery timeline. "It'll be difficult, but he's Mahi," Hussey said, acknowledging the physical grind that comes with crouching, diving and reacting behind the stumps over a long tournament, even for a keeper as instinctive as Dhoni.
What This Means for Sanju Samson
The bigger story to emerge from this update is what it signals for Sanju Samson, who had comfortably slotted into the gloves whenever Dhoni operated purely as an Impact Player substitute last season. With Dhoni reclaiming full-time keeping duties, Samson's utility as a wicketkeeper-batter within the XI becomes redundant, likely forcing CSK's management to rethink his best fit — either as a specialist batter or in a different tactical slot altogether. It's a subtle but significant shift that could reshape CSK's top-order combinations heading into the auction and subsequent team meetings.
Encouragingly for fans, reports from CSK's training sessions suggest Dhoni is timing the ball beautifully in the nets, a promising sign that his body is responding well to rehabilitation. The sterner examination, though, will come in live match conditions — quick singles, sharp bursts between the wickets, and the relentless intensity of IPL cricket. Still, the CSK camp remains unwavering in its faith. As one insider put it, the franchise and its fans alike are convinced that when the moment arrives, Thala will once again deliver the goods behind the stumps and with the bat, just as he has done for nearly two decades in yellow.