Chennai Super Kings legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni is expected to be sidelined for the opening two weeks of the Indian Premiere League 2026 season due to a calf injury, the franchise confirmed on Saturday.
"MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain and is likely to miss the first two weeks of the TATA IPL 2026," CSK said in an official statement.
Dhoni has continued to feature in the IPL since retiring from international cricket in 2020, though questions over his long-term future in the league resurface after every season. With the IPL being his only competitive outing, maintaining peak match fitness has become increasingly challenging for the 44-year-old.
Although Ruturaj Gaikwad leads the side as captain, Dhoni remains the guiding force within the CSK setup, having been associated with the franchise since its inception in 2008, except during the period of suspension.
In the previous season, Dhoni featured in all 14 matches, often batting down the order to provide late momentum. He has also managed persistent knee problems in recent years and underwent surgery in 2023.
CSK begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on March 30.
Chennai Super Kings Players List IPL 2026
Batters: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), MS Dhoni (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Kartik Sharma (WK).
All-Rounders: Jamie Overton, Matthew Short, Aman Hakim Khan, Prashant Veer, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Shivam Dube, Anshul Kamboj, Zak Foulkes.
Bowlers: Noor Ahmad, Rahul Chahar, Akeal Hosein, Shreyas Gopal, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Choudhary, Matt Henry, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis (Ruled Out).
Chennai Super Kings IPL Schedule 2026
The BCCI has released the schedule in phases. Here are the confirmed fixtures for CSK in the opening phase:
- March 30 - vs Rajasthan Royals - Guwahati (A) - 7:30 PM
- April 03 - vs Punjab Kings - Chennai (H) - 7:30 PM
- April 05 - vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Bengaluru (A) - 7:30 PM
- April 11 - vs Delhi Capitals - Chennai (H) - 7:30 PM
Chennai Super Kings Strongest Playing XI:
Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Ayush Mhatre, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, MS Dhoni, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed and Matt Henry.
Impact Sub: Mukesh Choudhary / Sarfaraz Khan
ALSO READ: IPL 2026 Full Schedule Announced: Check Fixtures List, Venues, Match Timings And More
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