The intrigue surrounding MS Dhoni and his fitness continues to be one of the major talking points of the IPL 2026.
The 44-year-old Dhoni has not played a single match so far this season, while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have just managed to keep the hopes of their playoffs alive with a victory over the Mumbai Indians (MI).
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s team has played nine matches so far. Of these, CSK won 4 and lost 5. In their last three matches, CSK thumped MI in two of them by 103 runs and 8 wickets, on either side of losing by 8 wickets to Gujarat Titans.
The positive for CSK is that after starting with three defeats in a row, the five-time champions claimed 4 wins in their next six outings.
However, more worries have been added with injuries to the likes of Ramakrishna Ghosh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Ayush Mhatre. CSK have also been playing without their former skipper, Dhoni.
CSK vs DC: Will MS Dhoni play in CSK’s next match?
CSK’s next match is against Delhi Capitals on Tuesday in Delhi. Dhoni will not play against DC as he has reportedly not flown to Delhi with the rest of the CSK squad and is in Chennai rehabbing.
Dhoni has been out of action since the beginning of the competition owing to a calf injury. Initially, CSK said the talismanic figure would be out for only two weeks. However, now we are into May, with more than a month’s tournament done and dusted, and yet Dhoni is not match fit.
CSK, though, are optimistic that the 44-year-old will be available later on.
“He should be available at some stage,” a CSK official told Cricbuzz.
After returning from Delhi, CSK will host Lucknow Super Giants in Chennai on May 10 and then travel to Lucknow for the return clash against Rishabh Pant’s side on May 15.
CSK’s last two league stage matches are scheduled for May 18 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai and May 21 against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
There is a significant possibility that IPL 2026 will turn out to be Dhoni’s last IPL season. If it does, Thala would want to play in the last few league games, specifically on May 21 against SRH at the Chepauk.
IPL 2026: How can CSK qualify for playoffs?
CSK have 8 points in 9 matches and will likely require a minimum of 4 wins in their remaining 5 games to reach 16 points. However, 16 points also do not guarantee a playoff spot. In that case, net run rate could come into play. If CSK wins all of their 5 matches, they will have 18 points, and that should get them through to the playoffs.
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