Battered Chennai, Rajasthan look to avoid wooden spoon finish

Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming remained tight-lipped about MS Dhoni's future in the IPL beyond the 2025 season. Speaking to the press in New Delhi on the eve of CSK's match against Rajasthan Royals, Fleming dodged a question about whether Dhoni would return to play for the Super Kings in the 2026 season.

"I don't know," Fleming said with a straight face before moving on to the next set of questions.

Fleming has consistently maintained throughout the season that he has not discussed MS Dhoni's future with the legendary cricketer. Dhoni, 43, is set to lead CSK in their final two league matches of the season. CSK have failed to qualify for the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in their IPL history.

Before the IPL 2025 season was suspended, MS Dhoni addressed speculation about his retirement, saying he had not made a decision and that whether he would play another season would depend on how he felt during the off-season.