Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan has dubbed MS Dhoni as a ‘permanent fixture’ for the franchise and has hinted that the team management is okay with the veteran taking over as the head coach in the near future. At 44-years of age, the former CSK captain is the oldest active uncapped player in the IPL. However, for the first time since the inception of the league, MSD did not feature in even a single game in the tournament this year, casting aspersions on his future. While many have speculated that IPL 2026 could have been Dhoni’s last season, like it has been done so multiple times over the last few years, the CSK CEO has opened up on what the franchise expects from Dhoni next.
CSK CEO okay with Dhoni replacing Fleming as coach
In an interview with RevSportz, the CSK CEO clarified that the team management hasn’t discussed any long-term association plans with MS Dhoni, adding that any decision will be taken by the star himself. He said that CSK would want Thala to be a ‘permanent fixture’ for the side – be it a player, coach or mentor.
“We have not discussed anything with MS as of now because, as you know, MS takes his decisions on his own, and we respect that. We would always like to have him as a permanent fixture at CSK in whatever capacity — be it as a player, coach or mentor. Whatever it is, it depends on what he decides. Every decision depends on him,” Kasi Viswanathan said.
The CSK CEO’s remarks comes at a time when Stephen Fleming’s role as head coach is under severe scrutiny after the team failed to make it to the IPL playoffs for the third consecutive time. Last week, former CSK star Ravichandran Ashwin backed the idea of Dhoni replacing Fleming as the head coach, while adding that the team didn’t need to look elsewhere when MSD is present.
There are strong reasons as to why CSK can consider Dhoni as the next head coach. First, he knows the team better than anyone else and has even been actively involved in grooming the young CSK players despite not being a part of IPL 2026. Secondly, at the time of IPL 2027, MS Dhoni will be 45-years-old. Given that he has been boggled by multiple injuries that forced him to miss an entire season for the first time, it would be wise for CSK to rope in the veteran as head coach and ensure a timely change of guard from Fleming to Dhoni.
Third, Dhoni is CSK’s best captain so far, having led the team to five titles.
