AB de Villiers Sparks Fresh Debate on MS Dhoni Role in CSK Playing XI Ahead of IPL 2026

With IPL 2026 set to begin on March 28, all eyes will be on MS Dhoni as fans get ready to watch him for another season.

MS Dhoni Lower Order Role Raises Concerns as AB de Villiers Urges Him to Bat Higher

One question that has been around for the past few seasons is why Dhoni bats lower than his usual position.

Speaking about this, former Royal Challengers Bengaluru player AB de Villiers on Star Sports said that if Dhoni continues to bat lower down the order without captaining, it raises questions about his place in the playing XI. He also said that the former CSK captain should bat higher up the order.

“If he is going to play the role of batting at No. 8 or No. 9, and not really captaining, then I just feel it’s almost making up a spot and just almost there for the wrong reasons,” de villiers said.

“He (Dhoni) has got to bat himself up to, at the latest, number 6. I would even like to see him at 5 or 4 sometimes,” he added.

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MS Dhoni Batting Position and Role Remain Key Talking Point

There has been a lot of talk about MS Dhoni retiring over the last few years, but he has continued to play for Chennai Super Kings. His role has mainly been keeping wickets and playing a few balls at the end as he batting way down the order.

In IPL 2025, he faced just 145 balls, 73 in 2024 and 57 in 2023. This shows his role has been very limited, which is not helping the team much. If he bats higher up the order, he can face more deliveries, and everyone knows the kind of impact he can make.

With CSK bringing in Sanju Samson, he is likely to be the first-choice wicketkeeper. This could further reduce MS Dhoni’s role, and it will be interesting to see how many matches he plays.

CSK will begin their campaign on March 30 with a match against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.

Chennai Super Kings Schedule for 1st Phase

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