Baton Of Dhoni's Responsibility Should Be Pass On To Others : Irfan Pathan

The 2026 edition of the TATA IPL will kick off on March 28 with the defending champions RCB taking on SRH in their home ground in Bengaluru. Speaking on JioStar's 'TATA IPL: Schedule Announcement', JioStar experts Abhinav Mukund, Irfan Pathan and Sanjay Bangar shared their thoughts on SRH and KKR's injury and availability issues, MS Dhoni's presence in the young CSK dressing room and Riyan Parag's first season as a full-time Captain.

Speaking on JioStar's 'TATA IPL: Schedule Announcement', JioStar expert Abhinav Mukund touched upon SRH's opening game against RCB and their Captain Pat Cummins' availability:

"Sunrisers have relied heavily on their batting but they will have to sort out their bowling combinations, and one of our good friends, Mr. Varun Aaron, has a job to do as bowling coach. SRH have some difficult games coming up at the start, and you don't know whether Pat Cummins is fully available or not. They haven't made any statement yet, so we'll have to wait for that because he has been a lynchpin for them. He's made sure that they play a different brand of cricket. I remember there was a game between these two sides where more than 500 runs were scored in Bengaluru. So, SRH will have their task cut out against RCB to begin with. Then they have games in Kolkata and at home in Hyderabad, another high-scoring ground. I'm guessing their batting has to come good straight off the bat."

Speaking on JioStar's 'TATA IPL: Schedule Announcement', JioStar expert Irfan Pathan highlighted MS Dhoni's presence in CSK's dressing room among youngsters:

"As soon as the IPL comes around, we start seeing Mahendra Singh Dhoni again, which means he is fully prepared for it, and he is looking very fit as well. We have seen him take responsibility for a number of years now, but I think this is the time for the baton to pass on to the likes of Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is a young captain as well. CSK's ideology has changed. It will be key for the youngsters to learn from MS Dhoni's experience, and for him to take the players ahead alongside him. It is a very exciting team on paper. In terms of six-hitting ability and intent, I am really looking forward to seeing the fearlessness from this young CSK side."

On the availability of KKR's fast bowlers:

"Choosing one between Seifert and Finn Allen will be a good headache, but the biggest issue for KKR and the think tank after the auction would be the availability of their fast bowlers. They would be worried about Pathirana's injury. Harshit Rana is also a big miss. But looking at the schedule, KKR will feel a little relieved as they will be playing three out of their four games at home. So, it helps in better planning and getting used to the surface at Eden Gardens, not just for the players but for the coaching staff as well in their preparation. But talking of Seifert and Finn Allen, if the availability of overseas pacers is an issue, the wicketkeeper slot might be taken care of for now by Abhishek Nayar and his team."

Speaking on JioStar's 'TATA IPL: Schedule Announcement', JioStar expert Sanjay Bangar explained how RR have improved from last season:

"It will be a good start for Riyan Parag, playing three games at home. He will get home support in Guwahati as a local boy, coming here for the first time as a full-time captain. He will definitely want to perform well in front of his home fans, but it won't be easy for the Rajasthan Royals. First they let go of Buttler, and now there is no Sanju Samson as well. The young batsmen in the team will have to take the lead. They have improved a lot from last year, especially in their bowling department, particularly the spin department with the additions of Ravi Bishnoi and Ravindra Jadeja. Fast bowling seems to be sorted as well. Finishing might be a slight worry, even though they have the option of bringing in Donovan Ferreira, but the middle order looks strong with Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel. Rajasthan Royals have definitely improved from last year."

On DC's overall strength:

"I think the pitch at Lucknow will suit DC's bowlers. They have a good pace attack, starting with Mitchell Starc, which could prove beneficial for DC. And when they play in Delhi, their spin department will come to the fore, with the likes of Axar Patel, Vipraj and Kuldeep Yadav. For a long time, he hasn't gotten many chances in recent times to play T20s, so he will definitely want to leave his mark. In batting, they have very good options, the combination of Tristan Stubbs and David Miller in the middle, and KL Rahul at the top. This team looks very strong, with quality all-rounders, good spinners and excellent fast bowlers. They will hope to start well in Lucknow and then take it from there."