IPL 2026: Will MS Dhoni return in KKR match?
What's the story
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be looking to build on their first win of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at MA Chidambaram Stadium tonight. However, MS Dhoni's participation continues to be uncertain. Dhoni has missed all of CSK's four matches this season due to a calf strain. He is likely to miss the fifth game as well.
Rehabilitation progress
Dhoni hasn't proven his match fitness yet
Despite the rehabilitation period set by CSK ending, Dhoni has not yet proven his match fitness. He has only batted in practice sessions with throwdowns from batting coach Michael Hussey and hasn't done any wicketkeeping drills. The 44-year-old has also not been traveling with the team for away matches this season.
Coaching perspective
Dhoni's presence felt even when not playing
CSK's head coach, Stephen Fleming, had said earlier that Dhoni is still very much a part of the team. "It is just a game without him. He is still heavily involved in the side, and his influence remains very strong," Fleming had said before an earlier game against Punjab Kings. According to ESPNcricinfo, Dhoni recently had a brief practice session at Chepauk. However, he is all but out of the KKR clash.
Career highlights
Dhoni's IPL stats
Last season, Dhoni scored 196 runs at a strike rate of 135.17, batting primarily in the lower middle order. Ruturaj Gaikwad, the regular skipper, was ruled out midway through the tournament with an injury. Dhoni stepped in as the stand-in skipper but couldn't change CSK's fortunes. It was also the final IPL season of Ravichandran Ashwin, who played for the Yellow Army. Overall, Dhoni has 5,439 runs from 278 IPL games at 38.30 (SR: 137.45).