2026 Is Likely To Be Dhoni's Last Year In The Yellow Jersey : Robin Uthappa

The Fearless Prodigies, Heavyweights, and Legends of the TATA IPL return to enthral fans as the new season kick off on March 28, with RCB taking on SRH in the opening fixture. Speaking on JioHotstar's 'TATA IPL: Out or Out of the Park', JioStar experts Robin Uthappa and Irfan Pathan debated the greatest team of the TATA IPL, discussed Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s potential response to bowlers analysing him, and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy, with MS Dhoni possibly playing his final IPL season.

Speaking On JioHotstar's 'TATA IPL: Out or Out of the Park', JioStar expert Irfan Pathan weighed in on the debate between CSK and MI as the greatest IPL team:

"On picking the side between CSK and MI as the greatest team in the IPL, this will always be debatable. CSK started winning the IPL title from 2010 onwards. They won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011 and were the first team to do so. But when MI started winning from 2013, they kept winning after every alternate year. Then they won the IPL trophy back-to-back in 2019 & 2020. But, what I like about MI is their contribution to Indian cricket. The number of match winners they have produced for the Indian team is absolutely tremendous. How do you achieve that? First, you make your franchise big. Second, you deliver results with the team you have. Even now, MI had a great squad last season that could have easily won the trophy, but they couldn't for different reasons. CSK don't have four Indian captains, MI do. In that respect, assembling a team and contributing to a bigger cause, I think MI are the greatest IPL team. I know CSK will always say they are also the greatest, having won five trophies too. There is no doubt. There will always be a debate and it is a fair debate. But I think MI take the edge because they have given so many wonderful cricketers and young talents to Indian cricket."

On Vaibhav Suryavanshi's growth and the challenges ahead of him in TATA IPL 2026:

"This season of the IPL for Vaibhav Suryavanshi will of a learning one. He has played in the tournament last year, he has played domestic cricket, and he is playing cricket in all formats everywhere. He played in the Under-19 World Cup, he has taken part in the Ranji Trophy with Bihar, and he has scored runs everywhere. In white-ball cricket and red-ball cricket, everyone is taking note of him. Bowlers are doing the same. Since he has played so much cricket since his IPL debut last year, other players are watching his videos and analysing his weaknesses. So he needs to find a way to upgrade his game and work on his weaknesses. He has slammed centuries with ease in all forms of cricket. When you do that consistently, not just in IPL but in domestic cricket, Under-19 cricket and emerging matches, your confidence keeps going higher. This IPL season, all bowlers will be ready with their strategies and Vaibhav will be looking to prove a point. He can do that by slamming another hundred in the IPL. When he scores runs consistently this season, that is when we can say Vaibhav Suryavanshi has upgraded his game."

Speaking on JioHotstar's 'TATA IPL: Out or Out of the Park', JioStar expert Robin Uthappa suggested that MS Dhoni will potentially be playing his final TATA IPL season:

“I don't think CSK should hand over the leadership duties to Sanju Samson. You have to give Ruturaj Gaikwad time to settle as captain. He has been leading the team since 2024. No matter what people say, he is coming out of the shadow of MS Dhoni. You want him to come out completely and stand in his own light. You want to see what he can produce. You want him to lead the team when MS is not playing and stand on his own, without that overwhelming feeling of always being under that energy. So I think you can see Dhoni being a little more hands-off. IPL 2026 is likely to be his last year in the yellow jersey. I see him playing more of a mentor-cum-player role this year. I don't see him batting at number seven. I see him batting at number eight. Knowing that he is on his way out, he wants to wean himself out. I think he will do that. Only then will we see the true potential of Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain. Give him a few years. If it doesn't work, you always have Sanju Samson in the team to handle the captaincy duties."

On why SRH's aggressive batting approach won't be enough for them to lift the TATA IPL trophy:

"SRH's aggressive batting is entertaining to watch. But batting like that won't help them win the IPL. Their bowling is a bit on the weaker side. Bowlers are the ones who make you win the trophy. In Hyderabad, where they play seven matches, the pitch is a batting paradise. It is a super belter wicket. Even someone like Mohammed Shami could not be penetrative on those flat wickets. You need a bowler like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He is a very clever guy. He swings the ball, changes pace, bowls yorkers. At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, you don't want to put too much pace on the ball because the ball does not seam around much. I don't think SRH have the bowling unit right now that can back the instability their aggressive batting can cause if the top order does not fire. We saw what happened last season. Apart from Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen, no other batter was able to step up. When the top order failed, the bowlers were not able to defend the totals. So I won't consider SRH as a serious title contender this season."