Michael Clarke has defended MS Dhoni amid growing retirement speculation during IPL 2026, calling the CSK legend the best T20 wicketkeeper and warning critics against rushing retirement calls.
MS Dhoni remains unavailable in IPL 2026 as he continues recovering from a knee injury. This has left fans waiting for his long-anticipated return for Chennai Super Kings. Dhoni had initially expected to miss only the early part of the season, but reports suggested the injury flared up again during training.
Speculation over the 44-year-old’s future has also increased, with many believing IPL 2026 could become his final season.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke strongly defended Dhoni and urged critics not to push for his retirement. Clarke said Dhoni’s importance to CSK and Indian cricket extends far beyond performances on the field.
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He also called Dhoni the best T20 wicketkeeper despite concerns around age and fitness. Clarke added that cricket could lose a unique personality once Dhoni retires, as he does not expect the CSK legend to move into commentary, coaching or mentoring roles after ending his playing career.
“MS Dhoni is CSK. If you go watch a CSK game, everyone has the No.7 yellow jersey on. In terms of sponsors coming to the team, every sponsor would want MS Dhoni to be part of that team. He is that significant in India and CSK. Age should not matter, though. No one can convince me that there is a better keeper than MS Dhoni. He’s still the best wicketkeeper in T20s. He is also one of a kind. So people need to be careful in wishing him to retire,” Clarke said on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.
“When he retires, we probably won’t see him involved in cricket. He certainly won’t commentate. I doubt he will stay on as a mentor with CSK. I can’t imagine him going into coaching. So I would urge people not to wish him to go out soon and try to keep him involved in the sport,” he added.
CSK Climb to Sixth After Big DC Win
Earlier, bowling consultant Eric Simons had said the final call on Dhoni’s return rested entirely with the former captain and joked that the matter sat “above his pay grade.”
Meanwhile, despite Dhoni’s absence, Chennai revived their playoff campaign strongly. The five-time champions climbed to sixth place after beating Delhi Capitals by 8 wickets on May 6. CSK now have 10 points from 10 matches, with 5 wins and 5 defeats.
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The team needs at least 2 or 3 wins from their remaining 4 league games to secure a top-four finish. Sanju Samson leads the effort with 402 runs, including an unbeaten 87 against Delhi.
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