CSK confirm MS Dhoni’s return for IPL 2026; Sanju Samson trade talks resurface
Chennai: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have confirmed that MS Dhoni will return for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, putting an end to months of speculation about his future.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan said, “That’s right,” when asked if Dhoni would play next season. He further added, “MS has told us that he will be available for the next season.”
Viswanathan, who has been with the franchise since its inception in 2008, shares a long professional association with Dhoni and is considered one of his closest aides within the team. The 44-year-old Dhoni’s IPL participation has often been a subject of debate in recent years, but this confirmation ensures that the CSK captain will be back for at least one more season.
Last season, CSK endured a tough campaign, finishing at the bottom of the table. Dhoni led the side in the absence of regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, and reports suggest he might be looking to finish his illustrious IPL career on a high.
Dhoni has been the face of the franchise since 2008, except for two seasons when CSK were suspended. If he features in IPL 2026, it will mark his 17th season with the franchise and 19th overall in the tournament. Across 248 matches for CSK, he has scored 4,865 runs and led the team to five IPL titles — in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.
Sanju Samson trade back in discussion
Meanwhile, discussions around a potential trade involving Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson have resurfaced. CSK and RR have reportedly reopened talks over the move, with the Royals’ co-owner Manoj Badale said to be in Mumbai exploring various trade options.
Sources indicate that a senior CSK player could be part of the proposed deal, though no names have been confirmed yet. The player in question has reportedly been sounded out about the possible switch to Rajasthan Royals.
Ahead of the November 15 retention deadline, Dhoni is expected to participate in team discussions with Viswanathan, Gaikwad, and head coach Stephen Fleming on November 10 and 11. The management is likely to finalise decisions related to player retention and the possible Samson trade during these meetings.
If the talks progress as expected, the next few days could see one of the biggest pre-season developments ahead of IPL 2026.
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SIR in Gujarat: More than 17 lakh deceased voters found on electoral rolls
Ahmedabad (PTI): The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Gujarat has revealed that more than 17 lakh deceased voters were still included in the existing voter list across the state, a release by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has stated.
According to the release issued on Thursday, the SIR exercise started in Gujarat on November 4 with booth-level officers (BLOs) distributing enumeration forms in their designated areas.
The campaign will continue till December 11.
"In the last one month, enumeration forms have been distributed to more than five crore voters registered in the 2025 electoral roll. In most of the 33 districts, 100 per cent of the distribution has been completed. Work on digitising the returned forms is currently underway. So far, the digitisation work has been completed in 12 out of 182 assembly constituencies," it said.
These include Dhanera and Tharad of Banaskantha district, Limkheda and Dahod (ST) of Dahod district, Bayad of Aravalli district, Dhoraji, Jasdan and Gondal of Rajkot district, Keshod of Junagadh district, Mehmadabad of Kheda district, Khambhat of Anand district and Jalalpore of Navsari district.
Dang district is at the forefront in this work with 94.35 per cent digitisation of the counting forms, said the release.
"During this exercise, it was revealed that 17 lakh deceased voters were still included in the electoral roll across the state. More than 6.14 lakh voters were found absent from their addresses. It has been noticed that more than 30 lakh voters have permanently migrated," the release said.
BLOs found more than 3.25 lakh voters in the "repeated" category, which means that their names figured at more than one place, the release stated.
