Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain has been ruled out of the IPL 2026 clash against the Mumbai Indians on Thursday, The Indian Express has learnt.
The 44-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, who trained with the squad in the lead-up to the game, will not play the marquee clash, thereby delaying his return to the field for his first 2026 match.
Dhoni was ruled out of the first two weeks of the tournament after undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain, but the delay has now stretched to 25 days with the five-time champions in eighth place on the with two wins and four losses against their name.
“MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026. Get well soon, Thala,” CSK had said in a statement.
Bowling coach Eric Simons said on Wednesday that the decision on whether Dhoni plays out will be left to the medical staff giving the go-ahead for him to take the field.
“(Regarding) MS, we will know tomorrow.. that decision will be made once he in particular and the medical staff are completely happy that he is ready to go,” Simons said in the pre-match press conference.
In Dhoni’s absence, Sanju Samson has taken the gloves for CSK and opened the batting with Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top of the order. The wicket-keeper batsman was traded from before the auction last year for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
CSK have been hit by injuries in the ongoing IPL, with both Ayush Mhatre and ruled out of the season. The former was replaced by pacer Akash Madhwal on Thursday. No replacement has yet been named for the latter. The five-time champions next take on the in on Sunday.
