MS Dhoni Retirement: Robin Uthappa Perceives IPL 2026 To Be CSK Legend's Last Season

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is set to commence from March 28. As the season draws near, teams have already kickstarted their preparations with the pre-season camps. Most of the Indian players have joined in and overseas players are arriving. Under the observation of coaches, teams are building up their intensity ahead of the season and are also working on their combinations and skills.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) enter this season with a clear goal of redemption after a disappointing last-place finish in 2025. Their primary objective is to rebuild their core around captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and new arrival Sanju Samson.

They aim to fix their batting tempo and find a reliable death-bowling combination to replace departed stars. Ultimately, the team wants to provide a winning farewell for MS Dhoni in what could be his final season.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) meanwhile, have traded out Sanju Samson and Ravindra Jadeja has returned to the franchise after 15 seasons. But the spearhead of their attack is the young Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Vaibhav made his debut last season in the midway point but this time, he will feature in the playing XI from the start. RR captain Riyan Parag will look forward to see fireworks from him.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) face a big problem with their captain Pat Cummins down with injury along with Eshan Malinga. The batting friendly conditions of their home stadium in Hyderabad demands a potent and defensive bowling attack but they are thin on the depth now entering the season.

Ahead of the IPL 2026. speaking on JioHotstar's 'Out or Out of the Park', JioStar experts Robin Uthappa and Irfan Pathan debated the greatest team of the IPL, discussed Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s potential response to bowlers analysing him, and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy, with MS Dhoni possibly playing his final IPL season.

Irfan Pathan On Greatest IPL Team Ever

"On picking the side between CSK and MI as the greatest team in the IPL, this will always be debatable. CSK started winning the IPL title from 2010 onwards. They won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011 and were the first team to do so. But when MI started winning from 2013, they kept winning after every alternate year. Then they won the IPL trophy back-to-back in 2019 & 2020. But, what I like about MI is their contribution to Indian cricket. The number of match winners they have produced for the Indian team is absolutely tremendous. How do you achieve that? First, you make your franchise big. Second, you deliver results with the team you have.

"Even now, MI had a great squad last season that could have easily won the trophy, but they couldn't for different reasons. CSK don't have four Indian captains, MI do. In that respect, assembling a team and contributing to a bigger cause, I think MI are the greatest IPL team. I know CSK will always say they are also the greatest, having won five trophies too. There is no doubt. There will always be a debate and it is a fair debate. But I think MI take the edge because they have given so many wonderful cricketers and young talents to Indian cricket."

Irfan Pathan On Vaibhav Suryavanshi's Response To Bowlers

"This season of the IPL for Vaibhav Suryavanshi will of a learning one. He has played in the tournament last year, he has played domestic cricket, and he is playing cricket in all formats everywhere. He played in the Under-19 World Cup, he has taken part in the Ranji Trophy with Bihar, and he has scored runs everywhere. In white-ball cricket and red-ball cricket, everyone is taking note of him. Bowlers are doing the same. Since he has played so much cricket since his IPL debut last year, other players are watching his videos and analysing his weaknesses. So he needs to find a way to upgrade his game and work on his weaknesses. He has slammed centuries with ease in all forms of cricket.

"When you do that consistently, not just in IPL but in domestic cricket, Under-19 cricket and emerging matches, your confidence keeps going higher. This IPL season, all bowlers will be ready with their strategies and Vaibhav will be looking to prove a point. He can do that by slamming another hundred in the IPL. When he scores runs consistently this season, that is when we can say Vaibhav Suryavanshi has upgraded his game."

Robin Uthappa On MS Dhoni's Potential Retirement

“I don't think CSK should hand over the leadership duties to Sanju Samson. You have to give Ruturaj Gaikwad time to settle as captain. He has been leading the team since 2024. No matter what people say, he is coming out of the shadow of MS Dhoni. You want him to come out completely and stand in his own light. You want to see what he can produce. You want him to lead the team when MS is not playing and stand on his own, without that overwhelming feeling of always being under that energy. So I think you can see Dhoni being a little more hands-off.

PL 2026 is likely to be his last year in the yellow jersey. I see him playing more of a mentor-cum-player role this year. I don't see him batting at number seven. I see him batting at number eight. Knowing that he is on his way out, he wants to wean himself out. I think he will do that. Only then will we see the true potential of Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain. Give him a few years. If it doesn't work, you always have Sanju Samson in the team to handle the captaincy duties."

Robin Uthappa On Sunrisers Hyderabad's Bowling Issues

"SRH's aggressive batting is entertaining to watch. But batting like that won't help them win the IPL. Their bowling is a bit on the weaker side. Bowlers are the ones who make you win the trophy. In Hyderabad, where they play seven matches, the pitch is a batting paradise. It is a super belter wicket. Even someone like Mohammed Shami could not be penetrative on those flat wickets. You need a bowler like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He is a very clever guy. He swings the ball, changes pace, bowls yorkers. At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, you don't want to put too much pace on the ball because the ball does not seam around much.

I don't think SRH have the bowling unit right now that can back the instability their aggressive batting can cause if the top order does not fire. We saw what happened last season. Apart from Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen, no other batter was able to step up. When the top order failed, the bowlers were not able to defend the totals. So I won't consider SRH as a serious title contender this season."