MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: The whistles were back in Chennai — and so was the laughter. Preparations for IPL 2026 officially began as former India and Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined current captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and the rest of the squad for their first practice session at the franchise’s high-performance centre on Sunday.The five-time champions kicked off their camp with several Indian players reporting for duty, while overseas recruits and foreign coaching staff are yet to assemble. For now, assistant coaches Sridharan Sriram and Rajiv Kumar are overseeing the sessions along with strength and conditioning coach Greg King.

But it didn’t take long for the spotlight — and the smiles — to centre around Dhoni.Facing a left-arm spinner during the nets, Dhoni was at his mischievous best. The bowler bowled a wide ball, and instead of simply letting it go, Dhoni paused, theatrically gestured for a wide and broke into a playful, dance-like signal. Teammates, support staff and everyone around the ground burst into laughter as the 44-year-old reminded everyone that even pre-season nets can double up as entertainment when he’s around.Among those present at the session were Ayush Mhatre, Mukesh Choudhary, Rahul Chahar, Urvil Patel, Ramakrishna Ghosh and Sarfaraz Khan. The franchise later shared visuals from the training, with Dhoni and Gaikwad batting in adjacent nets — a symbolic passing-of-the-baton image that sent fans into a frenzy online.While Dhoni entertained, Gaikwad looked sharp and fluent, showcasing assured footwork and clean timing. Sarfaraz, meanwhile, was seen keenly observing Dhoni’s net session — perhaps picking up a trick or two from the master finisher.New signings Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma also joined the squad and took part in the drills as preparations gathered pace.This phase of the camp largely features Indian domestic players. The internationals currently on national duty will join later. Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube, who are part of India’s T20 World Cup campaign, are expected to link up with the squad after the tournament concludes on March 7. Shreyas Gopal, fresh from Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy final run, will also report at a later date.Earlier, the franchise unveiled their jersey for the upcoming season, officially setting the tone for another blockbuster IPL campaign.Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Short, Sanju Samson, MS Dhoni, Urvil Patel, Kartik, Shivam Dube, Zak Foulkes, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Aman Khan, Veer, Noor Ahmad, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Nathan Ellis, Matt Henry, Gurjapneet Singh, Anshul Kamboj, and Mukesh Choudhary.