Amid the ongoing speculation over MS Dhoni’s playing future, former Chennai Super Kings batter Subramaniam Badrinath has revealed that the legendary wicketkeeper-batter is not in favour of playing as an Impact Player for the franchise.
Dhoni’s fitness has remained a major talking point in recent seasons, with the former CSK captain dealing with injuries for some time. He also underwent knee surgery after leading Chennai to their record-equalling sixth IPL title in 2023.
Dhoni did not feature in the IPL 2026 season, having continued to struggle with multiple fitness issues that had troubled him even before the season began.
According to Badrinath, Dhoni himself has told him that he does not want to take the Impact Player route and prefers to contribute as a full-time wicketkeeper.
“Dhoni has personally told me that he won’t play as an Impact Player,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel. “He sees himself as a full-time keeper, and that means he has to be on the field for the full 20 overs. So he won’t play as an Impact Player, but I feel if he does, it’ll tactically benefit CSK.”
Badrinath believes Dhoni’s current fitness situation could make the Impact Player option useful for CSK, especially if his role is limited to keeping wickets and batting late in the innings.
“His body cannot withstand long durations, which even Fleming has said. He is only going to bat after the 16th over and keep wickets. When his participation is so less, he would be ideal as an Impact Player,” he added.
Badrinath Defends Impact Player Rule
Badrinath also rejected the idea that the Impact Player rule was responsible for CSK’s decision to use Shivam Dube primarily as a batter.
“Shivam Dube bowling for India but not for CSK is not because of the Impact Player rule. It has to do with the CSK management and their lack of usage of Dube with the ball. Why are they using him as an Impact Player? The rule cannot be blamed,” Badrinath said.
He also questioned CSK’s handling of all-rounder Akeal Hosein, arguing that the left-arm spinner should have been a regular member of the starting XI rather than being kept as an Impact Player option.
“Akeal Hosein should be a certainty in the playing 11. But CSK keeps him as an Impact Player, and then when they bat poorly, they end up using an extra batter as an Impact Player. Because of this, Akeal Hosein ends up not playing. That’s just foolishness. You can’t blame the rule for your own foolishness,” he said.
Badrinath’s comments come amid continued questions over Dhoni’s future in the IPL. While the former CSK captain has not featured in the 2026 season, his possible return remains a major talking point among fans and followers of the franchise.
