Why Is MS Dhoni Not Playing In SRH Vs CSK In IPL 2026 Despite Initial Two-Week Injury Timeline Running Out?

(MENAFN- Live Mint) At the start of the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) released a statement on social media, stating,“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.” The announcement was made on March 28, the day IPL 2026 kicked off in Bengaluru.

Since then, more than two weeks have passed - 21 days to be precise - with no signs of Dhoni as CSK named a playing XI without the former skipper against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday. During the first two weeks, Dhoni didn't travel with the squad in the away games and not even to Chepauk on the match days at home.

Also Read | CSK need MS Dhoni more than ever: Aditya Tare ahead of SRH clash

But after visuals emerged of Dhoni travelling to Hyderabad for the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, expectations were on top for the fans who have come to watch the game. But to everybody's disappointment, neither toss presenter Ravi Shastri nor CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad even mentioned the name of Dhoni at the coin toss.

Why CSK are delaying with MS Dhoni's return?

While there are no concrete information on Dhoni's current fitness update, but the 44-year-old was seen batting at the nets, smashing the deliveries in equal measure on the eve Sunrisers Hyderabad clash.

CSK posted a video on Instagram, where Dhoni could be seen batting in the nets and smashing some massive sixes. Dhoni also had a light stint in the nets ahead of his team's clash against three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Chepauk Stadium.

While from outside, Dhoni may look fit while batting at nets, but it is believed that the five-time IPL-winning skipper is not 100% match fit to feature in a game. This the sixth game Dhoni missed in IPL 2026. He was not even named in the list of impact subs.

Also Read | SRH vs CSK Live Score, IPL 2026: Abhishek Sharma departs after carnage When will MS Dhoni return in IPL 2026?

According to a RevSportz report, Dhoni is likely to return to the CSK playing XI against Gujarat Titans on April 26. On the eve of the Sunrisers Hyderabad clash, head coach Stephen Fleming was asked about Dhoni's return. The New Zealander mentioned that the management is happy with Dhoni's progress but remained tight-lipped on his return, adding more mystery.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, CSK made two changes against Sunrisers Hyderabad, bringing in Matthew Short and Mukesh Choudhary in place of Akeal Hosein and injured Khaleel Ahmed.

SRH vs CSK playing XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(c), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora(w), Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivang Kumar, Praful Hinge, Sakib Hussain, Eshan Malinga

Also Read | IPL: MS Dhoni hits nets ahead of SRH clash

Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Matthew Short, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh

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