IPL 2026: MS Dhoni’s Possible Absence in CSK vs KKR Match

MS Dhoni, the legendary captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has been practicing batting but is still not fit enough to play in IPL 2026. Despite reports that he has been training with the team, including sessions with batting coach Michael Hussey, Dhoni remains sidelined due to a calf injury.

Dhoni has missed all four of CSK’s games so far this season because of his injury. He stayed back in Chennai for rehabilitation while the team played away matches. Although his recovery is complete, he hasn’t regained full fitness yet and didn’t practice wicketkeeping during training.

CSK’s head coach, Stephen Fleming, mentioned that Dhoni remains deeply involved with the team even when not on the field. Despite his absence, the team has struggled, losing three out of four matches so far. Their only win came against Delhi Capitals in their last game.

Currently, CSK is ninth in the IPL standings with just two points from four games. This follows a poor showing in the previous seasons where they failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2024 and 2025.

Dhoni, who has led CSK to five IPL titles, has had injury issues recently. After winning the title in 2023, he underwent knee surgery and dealt with a muscle spasm during IPL 2024.

With 278 IPL matches under his belt since 2008, Dhoni has scored 5,439 runs at an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45, including 24 half-centuries.