The major talking point for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2026 has been that of the legendary MS Dhoni. Dhoni was initially scheduled to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to a calf strain and underwent rehabilitation in Chennai for it.
He successfully completed his rehabilitation and even cleared his fitness. However, he is yet to play a game this season.
Dhoni had once even said that his farewell match would be at Chepauk, and while fans will have high hopes on that, there is no certainty yet. Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, however, does not see Dhoni playing CSK‘s home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Chennai on Monday.
The yellow brigade are in contention for making the playoffs and are in fifth place with 12 points from as many matches.
“Looks tough. Because this is a crucial game for CSK to progress, a win is a must. He hasn’t even played a single game, and he wouldn’t want to play this match. Because if he can’t perform, CSK might struggle. He is a team man and a team player. I don’t think he will play. Even I am disappointed. No Indian would want to see him not play. I just feel that perhaps the injury that he sustained, he has yet to recover entirely,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
MS Dhoni reportedly set to be in attendance at Chepauk
Despite the uncertainty about his participation, he is set to attend the match against SRH at Chepauk on Monday. According to The Indian Express, Dhoni will watch the match from the stands and is unlikely to play even as an impact player.
The report adds that this development comes in the wake of a fresh thumb injury he sustained ahead of CSK’s away match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Dhoni reportedly batted in the nets for 30 minutes on Sunday and looked comfortable. However, he decided to skip the match against SRH as he is still not 100% fit.
The Jharkhand cricketer has endured a difficult few seasons in the IPL. After leading CSK to their fifth IPL title in 2023, the 44-year-old underwent knee surgery. His struggles did not end there. He played IPL 2024 through a leg muscle tear, and because of these health setbacks, Dhoni had been batting lower down the order.
Overall, Dhoni has played 278 matches in the IPL and has aggregated 5,439 runs at a strike rate of 137.45. He has scored 24 half-centuries.
The veteran cricketer has led CSK to five IPL titles and stepped down from the captaincy after the IPL 2023 season, in which CSK defeated the Gujarat Titans (GT) to lift the title. Ruturaj Gaikwad then took over as CSK skipper ahead of IPL 2024, but they have failed to qualify for the playoffs ever since. CSK narrowly missed out on qualifying for the playoffs in IPL 2024 after finishing fifth. In IPL 2025, however, the yellow brigade endured a 10th-place finish, managing to register just four wins.
Dhoni, though, did lead CSK midway through IPL 2025, after regular skipper Gaikwad was ruled out of the season due to an injury.