MS Dhoni on Impact Player: ‘No Extra Masala Needed’

MS Dhoni feels the IPL doesn’t need the Impact Player rule for excitement, as it’s already competitive and high-scoring.

India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni believes the IPL doesn’t need the Impact Player rule to add extra spice to an already competitive and popular tournament.

In an interview with JioHotstar, Dhoni subtly addressed claims that the rule benefits him by keeping him in the CSK squad. A clip of the interview surfaced on Monday. He stated that it “does and doesn’t” favor him, as he still has to keep wickets and stay actively involved in the team’s overall proceedings.

Said MS Dhoni

“When they introduced it, I said one thing – the IPL is already in a great position, no need to add extra spice.”Dhoni said in the interview. “Games were already quite high-scoring, they were going well, the matches were quite competitive. We have seen it often in this format that matches end in five overs — you lose too many wickets, fail to make proper runs and the opposition wins easily.”

“If you lose a few wickets early, you’re usually out of the game. “So when they introduced this rule, I felt it wasn’t really needed because the TRP was already high, the quality of cricket was good, and talented players were emerging. But they implemented it anyway.” In some ways, it helps me, but at the same time, it doesn’t, because I still have to keep wickets and stay involved in the game—I’m not just an impact player,” he said.

At 43, Dhoni is playing his 18th IPL season for CSK in 2025. The team began their campaign with a four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians on Sunday. Dhoni contributed with a lightning-fast stumping to dismiss Suryakumar Yadav and faced two balls in the second innings but remained unbeaten on zero.

In the interview, Dhoni discussed his evolving batting approach, shifting from taking games deep to attacking from the first ball. He credited this change to improved pitches in India and advancements in batting techniques, which have made matches even more high-scoring.

“You have to adapt to the game’s demands. Cricket today is very different from how we played in 2008 and even last year’s IPL. Earlier, pitches had some turn and were a bit two-paced, but now India’s wickets have improved significantly,” Dhoni said.

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