Sometimes seen, seldom heard, Mahendra Singh Dhoni remains as enigmatic as ever. With the IPL a little over a fortnight away, Dhoni has again sent his fans and cricket lovers into a tizzy with a cryptic message that he posted on Facebook shortly before 7pm on Monday: "Can't wait for the new season and the new 'role'.

That the word 'role' has been written within inverted commas is also intriguing. Will Thala, as Dhoni is affectionately called because of his leadership prowess, become a mentor to Chennai Super Kings, the franchise he has led since 2008? Will he be a mentor but play only a few games? Or is it just a promotional stunt ahead of the IPL?

Or, will Dhoni look at opening the innings for CSK given that New Zealander Devon Conway has been ruled out for at least eight weeks owing to a left thumb surgery?

CSK will be defending their IPL crown --- their fifth, which is the joint highest along with Mumbai Indians --- when they begin their campaign at home against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22, the opening day of the season. And in a rematch of last year's final, they will take on Gujarat Titans, also at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Of late, Dhoni has been coming into bat late, maybe after the 15th over of the innings. He hasn't scored heavily but his strike rate has been high. Last season, for example, his strike rate