Stephen Fleming Hints at MS Dhoni's Eventual Departure; CSK Planning for IPL 2026 Auction

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming openly discussed the franchise's long-term strategy, particularly regarding the eventual transition when MS Dhoni retires. This came up while explaining the decision to trade Ravindra Jadeja, along with Sam Curran, to the Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Sanju Samson.

Fleming acknowledged the difficulty of replacing Dhoni, who has captained CSK to a record-tying five IPL titles. The team is actively seeking a successor as Dhoni approaches the later stages of his career.

"We had an opportunity. We felt that we were a bit thin in our opening batting lineup. And we were also looking at the fact that at some point, MS will move on," Fleming stated at the IPL 2026 auction, emphasizing the dual purpose of securing Samson: immediate reinforcement and future planning.

He added, "Sanju is an international-quality player, and he fills that role very well. So it's succession planning, but also about refreshing the group and looking at what Chennai will look like in six years, not just two."

CSK appears to be evolving its team-building philosophy. Known for prioritizing experienced players, the franchise has recently shown a willingness to invest in younger, uncapped talent.

This shift became apparent during the 2025 IPL season when CSK brought in players like Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel. The recent auction on December 16th further underscored this strategy, with the team spending significantly on uncapped players Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, acquiring each for a substantial sum of Rs 14.2 crore.

Fleming explained, "As the game has evolved, we might have been a little bit slow to evolve with it. Only halfway through the (2025) tournament we had a big shift and you saw with the players we got in as reserves, there was a shift in what we needed to do."