Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) 32-year-old pacer Akash Madhwal believes veteran wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni will play in IPL 2027. Dhoni did not appear in a single match during the 2026 edition, having initially been sidelined with a calf strain before suffering a thumb injury as well.

Speaking during an interaction with Sports Tak, Madhwal, who joined CSK during the 2026 season as an injury replacement, added that MS Dhoni is very fit and he did not miss a single practice session after he joined the camp. He also backed him to ‘definitely’ play in the next edition.

Madhwal said: “It is his call whether he plays or not. But as much as I have seen him, he is seriously very fit. Since I joined CSK, he hasn’t missed a single practice session. In every practice session, he would give 100% effort. He would bat really well. Because I am a fan of his, I watch him a lot. So, we would stand in the nets just to watch him bat, and it felt so privileged to see him playing live. So, there’s nothing like that. I feel that he will 100% play next year; he will definitely play.”

READ HERE: Shubman Gill Breaks Silence On ODI Futures Of Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli

However, Akash Madhwal also added that MS Dhoni’s presence alone is a huge thing for the franchise and added that he is very approachable, adding that he has a solution for everything.

He said: “You also know that his presence alone is a very big thing. To be in a dressing room, and if you are in that dressing room, being a part of it is a huge deal. Brother is very approachable. He stays very calm. Whenever you want to ask anything, you can just go and talk to him. He will give you a solution for everything. He will sit you down and talk comfortably. He will listen to everything you have to say. He will give you a complete answer. Just his presence was very positive for us in that environment. It was very easy.”

“I highly rate the CSK management. It is a very chill environment. You don’t feel any pressure about anything. The only pressure is that you have to perform. It’s just that if you are playing, you have to perform. He didn’t really focus much on that either. He would just say to stay in your state of mind, perform, and nothing else,” Akash Madhwal concluded.