Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin said MS Dhoni must have extensive match practice elsewhere if he is to play for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2027. Dhoni could not play a single match in IPL 2026 due to injury woes, and there are doubts about his future.

Sanju Samson, who was traded from Rajasthan Royals, kept wickets for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026. Meanwhile, Dhoni has all the experience under his belt, but he has surprisingly pushed himself down the order in the last few seasons of the IPL.

Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “Just on outlook, without match practice, there is no way for him to play in a tournament like the IPL. That will just be pushing the barriers way too much. If he decides to play, none of us can question it.”

“But if he wants to continue as a player in the IPL, he has to play matches elsewhere to put miles on his legs. If he can do these things and be extremely motivated, it has to be applauded. But if this is not the case, there is nothing going forward for him as a player.”

The former CSK off-spinner Ashwin said Dhoni has to decide his future by himself.

“It is hard for a player who has performed at such a high level for so long to be seen as a player performing at a lower level. No one has the right to decide if Dhoni should play at 46 or not. Only he has to decide that. But from the outside, I have several questions about it,” said Ashwin (via the aforementioned source).

“We do not know what kind of effort he is putting in behind closed doors. We also don’t know how much he practices and goes to the gym, or how much fire he still has to perform. Even with his knee and calf injuries, the work he has put in to regain fitness is unknown.”

CSK could not qualify for the playoffs in the previous season, and they would look to turn a corner in the next edition.