Chennai Super Kings bowling coach Eric Simmons said on 22 May that no clarity has emerged over whether MS Dhoni will return for IPL 2027, after the legendary wicketkeeper-batter missed the entire 2026 season due to injury. The confirmation came as CSK closed out a forgettable campaign with an 89-run defeat to the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, sealing their exit from the tournament before the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

Another Disappointing Exit for CSK

The five-time champions finished IPL 2026 with just six wins from 14 matches, falling well short of playoff contention. The loss to Gujarat Titans was not merely a dead-rubber — it confirmed a troubling pattern of underperformance for a franchise once synonymous with consistency. This is the third straight season CSK have failed to reach the knockouts, a stark contrast to their earlier record of near-perennial playoff appearances.

What Simmons Said on Dhoni

'MS Dhoni is someone whose presence automatically changes the balance and confidence of the side. Naturally, when a player of that stature misses an entire season, it leaves a huge gap. At this stage, there's still no certainty around whether he will play IPL 2027. Those conversations will happen in due course, but right now the focus is on understanding where we went wrong this season and how we improve as a unit,' Simmons said at the post-match press conference.

Simmons acknowledged that Dhoni's absence weighed heavily on the side, though he stopped short of attributing the team's struggles solely to it. The coaching staff, he indicated, would conduct a thorough review before any decisions are made about the squad's future composition.

Kamboj and the Young Guns

One of the few bright spots in an otherwise difficult season was the emergence of Anshul Kamboj, who finished as the team's leading wicket-taker with 21 wickets in 14 matches. Simmons drew a direct line between individual development plans and Kamboj's progress, noting that the bowler had returned from the previous off-season as a markedly improved cricketer.

'I think each player goes away with something to work on. As a bowling coach, I put reports together for each guy to go for the next nine months to come back as an improved player, like we saw Anshul come back from last season,' Simmons said.

Silver Linings: Squad Depth and Self-Knowledge

The former South Africa bowling coach pointed to a deeper understanding of the squad as one of the campaign's constructive outcomes. He highlighted the development of Kartik as another positive, saying the youngster had 'come along magnificently this season.'

'We know ourselves a lot better as a unit, and we also know a lot of the individuals better, as to what they can and can't do,' Simmons added. The coaching staff will now spend the next several months working with players on targeted improvement programmes ahead of the IPL 2027 cycle.

What Comes Next for CSK

With the retention and auction window for IPL 2027 still some months away, the question of Dhoni's participation is likely to dominate CSK-related discussion through the off-season. At 45, Dhoni remains one of cricket's most followed figures, and any announcement on his future — whether a comeback or retirement — will carry enormous weight for both the franchise and the league. For now, CSK's management faces the harder task of rebuilding a side that has lost its way in the post-Dhoni era, even if that era has not been formally declared.