The four-time IPL winning captain MSD confirmed that he will definitely play the 2023 IPL for Yellow Army after CSK failed to make the playoffs earlier this year.

Will MS Dhoni play in the IPL 2023 for Chennai Super Kings?

MS Dhoni confirmed he would return to play IPL in 2023 after CSK failed to make the playoffs earlier this year. The 4-time title-winning captain said he would definitely return to play the IPL, dismissing retirement rumours. Dhoni said he would want to thank fans all across India and Chennai with the IPL set to return to home and away format for the first time since 2019.

However, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has been maintaining that MS Dhoni will continue to lead Chennai in IPl 2023.

“I think so, I think he will be captain. We have seen MS Dhoni try and pass the captaincy on, he has not been playing cricket regularly in between the IPL. It’s just an opportunity for MS Dhoni to pass the baton. I think yes, they will do it straight away. Ben Stokes will be captain,” Styris told Jio Cinema on Friday, December 23.

Notably, Dhoni had handed over the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja a day ahead of the IPL 2022 season. Jadeja led CSK in the first half of the IPL earlier this year but the all-rounder stepped down after a shaky start to their season.

Find IPL 2023 Schedule, Time-table & Full Fixtures here!

Jadeja handed back the captaincy to Dhoni with the legendary skipper taking charge of the team in the second half of the season.

However, Stokes’s arrival makes things interesting. England’s Test captain was bought for a whopping Rs 16.25 crore by CSK after the powerhouses failed to bring back Sam Curran, who broke the IPL record for the most expensive player bought at the auction with Rs 18.5 crore by Punjab Kings.

Stokes has been in sensational form as captain of the England Test team, having won 9 out of 10 Tests since he took over.

Former England captain Eoin Morgan said Stokes is a steal at Rs 16.25 crore, saying the experience that he brings under pressure situation is invaluable.

“Whatever it takes to get Ben Stokes, get Ben Stokes. He is that big game player. Like we saw in the World Cup final, to show the cooler calmer version of himself, when he needs it, he can call upon it anytime. He can take the new ball. It’s just a complete package. What is there to be spent?” Morgan added.

CSK Full Squad IPL 2023

Retained Players: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ambati Rayudu, Dwaine Pretorius, Maheesh Theekshana, Prashant Solanki, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mitchell Santner, Matheesha Pathirana, Subhranshu Senapati

Players bought at IPL 2023 auction

Ben Stokes, Kyle Jamieson. Nishant Sindhu, Ajinkya Rahane, Bhagath Varma, Ajay Mandal, Shaik Rasheed