MS Dhoni Reflects on RCB's Rise and CSK's Struggles in IPL

Indian and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni has openly acknowledged Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) recent dominance in the Indian Premier League (IPL), including their back-to-back title wins in 2025 and 2026. Speaking at a healthcare event in Bengaluru, Dhoni, who missed the IPL 2026 season due to fitness issues, discussed his own franchise's recent struggles, stating there is no hiding that the defending champions are performing better.

CSK, five-time IPL champions, have faced challenging times in recent years, including bottom-of-the-table finishes in the 2020s, notably coming in last place in 2025 and eighth in 2026. In contrast, RCB has seen a significant resurgence in the 2020s, reaching the playoffs every year except 2023 and securing two consecutive titles under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar. Furthermore, RCB has dominated CSK in head-to-head encounters over the past three seasons, winning four out of their last five matches.

Dhoni articulated his philosophy on team performance, stating, "how good you are on paper hardly matters. How good you are on that particular day is something, which is the most important. And the shorter the format, the narrower is the margin between the best of teams." He candidly admitted, "the last 2 years, we have struggled, and it is a fact. You know, there is no point shying away from the fact that RCB has done really, really well." Dhoni emphasized that the "real test of character is when you’re not doing well," reflecting on CSK's current phase.

Looking ahead, Dhoni expressed hope for a better IPL 2027 season for CSK, stressing the importance of keeping players fit and ensuring they understand their roles and responsibilities. He also shared his appreciation for Bengaluru as a cricket venue, noting that batsmen love it because "the ball travels over" and even mistimed shots can go for six. While acknowledging the pressure on bowlers at such a high-scoring ground, he described it as a "very nice venue overall, you know, high-scoring but a lot of fun" for entertainers like cricketers.

What to watch: The performance of CSK and RCB in upcoming IPL seasons.

Editor's note: The draft accurately reflects the statements made by MS Dhoni and the performance context of CSK and RCB as described in the source text.