Legendary captain MS Dhoni will not play for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. As per the recent update from the franchise, the wicketkeeper-batsman is likely to miss the first two weeks of the much-awaited tournament due to a calf strain.
Sanju Samson was bought by Super Kings before last year’s auction. He recently won the Player of the Tournament award during India’s T20 World Cup win. Chennai Super Kings will rely heavily on Samson when they face Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their season opener in Guwahati on March 30.
CSK confirmed that MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation of his calf injury. The former CSK captain is likely to be out of action for at least two weeks. Sanju Samson will handle the responsibility of wicketkeeping for Super Kings.
“Official statement. MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation due to a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of Tata IPL 2026. Get well soon, Thala,” CSK wrote on
official statement
MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation due to a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of Tata IPL 2026.
Get well soon, Thala! pic.twitter.com/4dgmt5EWFi
– Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) 28 March 2026
Dhoni faced a challenging season with the bat last year. He scored only 196 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17. The legendary cricketer took over the captaincy after Ruturaj Gaikwad suffered an elbow injury, but the franchise finished bottom of the table with only four wins.
Many more to follow…
