Faf du Plessis has clear views on where MS Dhoni should bat for CSK in IPL 2026 — and he is on the opposite side of the debate from Cheteshwar Pujara, who recently said Dhoni should be promoted up the order. Dhoni will turn 45 this July, making him the oldest player in the tournament, but Du Plessis insists his value in the final overs is simply irreplaceable.

Du Plessis Says: Keep Him at the Death

Speaking on JioHotstar, the former CSK and South Africa batter made a direct case for keeping Dhoni at the bottom of the order.

“There are a handful of players in the world who have that clarity and backing to do it in the 19th and 20th overs. The mere mortals out there think there is more pressure in the 19th and 20th overs than in the 16th. But his clarity in those last 18 balls of the match, when he can really zone in on what is required, is second to none.”

He also explained the risk of promoting Dhoni higher.

“If you send him in earlier and he gets out, you lose that at the back end. And there are enough players in CSK’s middle order who can do more damage in those phases — players like Brevis and Dube, who are exceptional spin-hitters. That is their strength, so back them to do that. MS’s strength has always been in overs 17 to 20, facing the seamers.”

The numbers back this up. In IPL 2024, Dhoni batted at numbers eight and nine across most games, faced just 73 balls in the entire season — and hit them at a strike rate above 220. At No. 8 specifically, he has averaged 47.2 with a strike rate of 173.5 across 14 innings in the IPL.

Still the Sharpest Tactical Brain on the Field

Du Plessis went beyond the batting debate and argued that Dhoni’s real contribution to CSK in 2026 is tactical.

“MS Dhoni is the best tactician and one of the most successful cricketers in the game when it comes to leadership. But I don’t think CSK saw him playing as many seasons as he eventually did.”

He also spoke about how the captaincy handover to Ruturaj Gaikwad has gone, acknowledging it was handled well — while noting that Gaikwad’s injury last season hurt CSK significantly both with the bat and in terms of leadership decisions.

“Ruturaj was the next guy, and I thought, coming into his first season, he did a great job. It’s just unfortunate that he got injured last season.”

The Gloves Argument

Du Plessis also went to bat for Dhoni as CSK’s first-choice wicketkeeper, even with Sanju Samson now in the squad as a second gloveman.

“MS Dhoni being behind the stumps doesn’t always equate to something happening, but what it does is create a little bit of doubt in the mind of a young batter walking in. He plants a seed of doubt, even if it’s just through an angle change. And don’t forget, he is still the quickest gloveman in the game.”

CSK’s probable XI for IPL 2026 has Sanju Samson and Ayush Mhatre opening, Ruturaj Gaikwad at No. 3, followed by Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja in the middle order, with Dhoni at seven or eight and keeping wickets.

CSK Start March 30 in Guwahati

CSK open their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. They finished bottom of the table in IPL 2025 with just four wins, and Du Plessis — who is back in the CSK fold as a commentator and ambassador — believes they will bounce back to finish in the top four. For that to happen, Dhoni doing what he does best in those final overs will be a big part of the plan.