Former India all-rounder turned analyst R Ashwin believes MS Dhoni could bat higher up the order and not at No.8 or 9 in the upcoming IPL season as well. Ashwin’s comments came in response to images and videos of Dhoni practicing for IPL 2026 going viral on social media as well.

He also faced a poor IPL 2025 season, scoring under 200 runs at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17 in 14 matches as well. Moreover, Dhoni often came out to bat at the fall of the sixth or seventh wicket last season, concering if he may not take the field often in IPL 2026.

Talking about this, Ashwin said on his YouTube channel: “Dhoni looks set to play as he has already started practicing. He’s looking fit. Some said he may not play in the 11, or this might be his last season. But it looks like he got motivated seeing Imran Tahir. Looking at him, it doesn’t look like he’ll bat at No.9. He looks like he’ll come out to bat at No.3 in the power play and be the enforcer, the way he has begun practice.”

Ravichandran Ashwin applauded CSK’s batting lineup, calling it an unstoppable force with the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, and Shivam Dube in the top five as well.

“They’ve scouted very well and boast a powerhouse of a batting lineup. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Karthik Sharma, and Prashant Veer is a batting lineup, barring the inexperience in the last two, you ask how are teams going to stop this batting lineup? Even a 200 to 200 becomes really difficult for teams to stop CSK to,” said Ashwin.

“Even Jamie Overton is going great guns. Only the combination CSK decides to go with is to be seen. Ayush Mhatre, irrespective of what happens in the U-19 World Cup, will deliver in the IPL. CSK’s batting is a tough one to stop. If they get the combination and momentum right, that is a batting lineup that’s really going to make work very difficult for bowlers around the tournament,” R Ashwin concluded.