DC vs CSK, IPL 2026: Chennai Super Kings’ legendary keeper-batter MS Dhoni continues to be on the sidelines as the Yellow Army keep searching their quest to reach the playoffs in IPL 2026. With the Delhi Capitals hosting the Yellow Army at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on May 5, Tuesday, Dhoni wasn’t part of the two changes that Ruturaj Gaikwad announced.
Notably, the 44-year-old hasn’t even travelled with the side.
DC vs CSK, IPL 2026: Will MS Dhoni play any of Chennai Super Kings’ remaining games?
Having played all 18 seasons, the former Super Kings skipper is yet to play a game this season and would have joined the elite class of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Manish Pandey to feature in at least one fixture in all 19 editions. But Dhoni’s calf injury forced him to miss the first part of the season and was slated to resume playing from the second phase. While Dhoni has been batting and keeping at nets, hinting at returning, the Super Kings’ management have opted to keep him out of the side. Ahead of the clash against the Capitals, bowling coach Eric Simons said, as quoted by The Print:
“Update on MS Dhoni is way above my pay grade. He's not with us (in Delhi), but steadily improving. He'll be ready when he's ready, and he knows when he's ready to play.”
Given Dhoni’s age, the veteran might not even play in the following IPL edition.
DC vs CSK, IPL 2026: What happened the last time the Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings met?
It is also the second time in IPL 2026 that the Super Kings and Capitals are up against each other. Earlier in the tournament, the Chepauk in Chennai hosted the Capitals when Sanju Samson became the first centurion of the season and stayed unbeaten at 115 to usher the five-time champions to 212/2 in 20 overs. Ayush Mhatre, who has now been ruled out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury, had chipped in with 59, while Shivam Dube slammed a 10-ball 20.
In response, the Capitals couldn't sustain the momentum they needed to chase down the mammoth total. Tristan Stubbs top-scored with 60 and fought hard but the task was steep and the Capitals fell 23 runs short eventually. Anshul Kamboj and Jamie Overton shared seven wickets between them, with the latter finishing with an outstanding haul of 4-0-18-4.
Both Super Kings and Capitals are coming with wins over the Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals, respectively; hence, they will come in with some momentum. But the Super Kings hold a superior head-to-head record, winning 20 out of 32 games. Meanwhile, the Capitals have won the toss in Delhi and opted to bat first.