MS Dhoni in his legendary number 7 jersey for CSK (PC - x.com)
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is about to begin, and the craze among fans is at its peak. The nineteenth season of the Indian extravaganza is to be bigger, grander and like never before, as MS Dhoni will return to the field after a year.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)'s very own and India's beloved, Thala as they say, will taking the field after last featuring in the IPL 2025, in his IPL team's last league game against the Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
The 43-year-old Dhoni has already started his preps ahead of the IPL 2026, as the former India and CSK captain has been seen having a joyful time in the nets.
MS Dhoni to swap from No.7 to 8 in IPL 2026?
Now, with around ten days to go for the upcoming IPL season, Dhoni has posted a video on his social media, in which a person swaps Dhoni’s legendary number 7 shirt with a number 8 jersey.
"Some numbers stay with you. 7 has always been one of them. But today, I’m switching to 8. You’ll know why soon," the caption of MS Dhoni's social post read.
Interestingly, Ravindra Jadeja used to wear the number 8 jersey at Chennai, and with the all-rounder trading to the Rajasthan Royals, the slot has opened up. However, Dhoni has never worn any number apart from 7, which has been synonymous with Thala. And this speculation could be a potential brand gimmick.
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Moreover, the legendary cricketer has also legally secured ownership of the number 7 through his sportswear brand, SEVEN. Moreover, the BCCI has officially retired the numbers 7 & 10 from international cricket after Shardul Thakur wore number 10 behind his back, angering Sachin Tendulkar fans.
Last dance with a trophy for MS Dhoni?
MS Dhoni, who was underutilised last season due to a knee injury, will be playing all matches this year for what could be his last dance in the IPL, as speculated by Irfan Pathan.
Despite struggling with form in the last couple of seasons, MSD scored 200 runs in IPL 2025 and 161 runs at 220.55 in IPL 2024. However, his vintage finishing, CSK failed to make it to the playoffs in the last two editions.
For IPL 2026, CSK have assembled a strong unit comprised of ample young and experienced players - in the likes of MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube. The five-time champions are all but in to win their historic sixth IPL triumph, to give Thala a dream farewell.
CSK's schedule in IPL 2026
MS Dhoni and CSK will kickstart their campaign in the IPL 2026 with the fixture against the Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapar Stadium in Assam on March 30. The Yellow Army will then travel back home to play Punjab and Delhi, but in between, they will face off with RCB in Bengaluru.
The BCCI has just announced the IPL 2026 schedule for the first 20 games, with the remaining part of the schedule to be revealed after the Election Commission of India announces the dates for state elections in West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu.
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