IPL 2026: Just before IPL 2026 kicks off, Chennai Super Kings dropped a big boom about their iconic former captain, MS Dhoni. According to CSK, Dhoni won’t be on the field for the start of the season. The franchise made this official on their social media, and fans everywhere are pretty stunned. CSK announced that Dhoni has picked up an injury and will miss at least the first two weeks of the tournament.
In their statement, CSK explained that Dhoni is dealing with a calf muscle strain and is currently in rehab. That means he’s going to sit out at the very least, the opening two weeks of IPL 2026. Based on the schedule, Chennai has four matches during that timeframe, wrapping up their fourth game by April 11. So, it looks like Dhoni’s out for at least four or five matches.
The season itself starts on March 28 and Chennai plays their opener on March 30 against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. Then, they face Punjab Kings at home on April 3, RCB in Bengaluru on April 5, and Delhi on April 11. Now, injuries aren’t new for Dhoni. He’s had knee issues for a couple of years but still pushed through, and in 2023, he actually led CSK to their fifth IPL title.
This time, though, the team will probably have Sanju Samson behind the stumps while MS Dhoni recovers. Chennai Super Kings will be looking to bounce back in this season since their 2025 season was annoying as they finished dead last on the points table.
Chennai Super Kings Full Squad:
Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Prashant Veer, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Mukesh Choudhary, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry
