Chennai Super Kings (CSK) once again missed out on the services of MS Dhoni after skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad revealed the playing XI against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.
The former captain was ruled out for two weeks on the opening day - March 28 - due to a calf strain.
While the two weeks have already passed, it looked like the five-time champions don't want to rush the 44-year-old. "MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of TATA IPL 2026," CSK had said on March 28.
On Tuesday, there was no mention of Dhoni at the coin toss, which was won by KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane. When asked about the changes in the playing XI by toss presenter and former cricketer Ravi Shastri, Gaikwad said, "We are going with the same team." CSK have been asked to bat first.
Dhoni now has missed five straight games for CSK in the 2026 season. However, the talismanic cricketer has already started training at nets. Going by the franchise's social media handles, Dhoni is batting at the nets and is in good spirits.
When will MS Dhoni return in IPL 2026?
According to a report at Revsportz, Dhoni is inching towards full fitness and might be available for CSK's game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18. It also states that there was a hope of Dhoni returning against KKR but the former India captain still needs a little more time to be match fit.
For the unversed, Dhoni has also not travelled with the CSK side for the away fixtures in the 2026 season. One of the few players to have pnot missed any IPL season, Dhoni has so far accumulated 5,439 runs in 242 innings with an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45.
He has notched up 24 fifty-plus scores with a highest score of 84 not out.
CSK vs KKR playing XIs
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Khaleel Ahmed
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi
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