Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Subramaniam Badrinath said legendary wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni will not play as an Impact Player if he continues his playing career in the next IPL season as well. However, given a choice, Badrinath added that he would make Dhoni CSK’s Impact Player going forward as well.
However, Dhoni missed the entire IPL 2026 season with a calf injury, creating doubts about his future as a player. Moreover, the Impact Player rule has also come under scrutiny after a season full of high-scoring matches as well.
Talking about Dhoni potentially being CSK’s Impact Player next season, Badrinath said on his YouTube channel, “He has personally told me that he won’t play as an Impact Player. 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. 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.”
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Subramaniam Badrinath also blamed the CSK management for their poor use of the Impact Player rule in IPL 2026 as well. Shivam Dube and Akeal Hosein were regularly used as Impact Players in the season, a move Badrinath believes CSK should not do as well.
“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,” said Badrinath.
“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 concluded.
