MS Dhoni will not be rushing back onto the field for Chennai Super Kings. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed on Sunday that Dhoni’s return from a calf injury has been delayed after the problem got worse during a warm-up game before the IPL 2026 season began.
CSK lost to the Gujarat Titans by eight wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai that day, their fifth defeat in eight matches. But the talk after the game quickly moved to Dhoni, who has now missed every single one of CSK’s games this season.
What Happened to Dhoni Before IPL 2026 Started
Dhoni has been with the CSK squad since March. Videos and photos of him training at the nets and taking part in practice sessions have been circulating on social media throughout this period. Despite that visible presence, he has not appeared in any of CSK’s eight league matches. He has not even been at the ground on match days.
The original plan was to keep him out for only the first two weeks of the competition. That timeline has since fallen apart.
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad had explained the situation in a club video posted four days before Fleming’s press conference. According to Gaikwad, the injury happened during a practice match before the season. “That’s when he snapped his calf, and then he wasn’t able to run as comfortably as he wanted to,” Gaikwad said.
Gaikwad also noted that Dhoni had used the time on the sidelines to watch the younger players in match simulations. He felt confident about what he saw from them, which gave Dhoni room to focus on getting fit rather than rushing back. “Slowly, slowly, he is getting there. Never know, maybe next game, maybe after that, but definitely one day for sure,” Gaikwad said.
Fleming on Dhoni’s Recovery Progress
Fleming was direct about what happened. “The calf is a tough one. If he takes off and rips the calf again, then he will be gone for the whole season. So we pushed it early. In a warm-up game, he tweaked it again, as far as I understand. And since then, he has been just working hard to get some movement into it. But there was a setback.”
Fleming made clear that Dhoni himself is driving the decisions around his own fitness. The CSK camp is not setting deadlines or applying pressure.
“He’s the guide on this one. And he’s working hard with the physio and doing all the rehab. We’re just waiting for the word, really. But all I can keep saying is it’s not making light of this, he is progressing and doing everything,” Fleming said.
Dhoni is 44 years old and has a long history of playing through physical discomfort in the IPL. But this injury is taking longer than the franchise anticipated, and with the risk of a complete season-ending tear if he comes back too early, a cautious approach makes sense.
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CSK’s Situation With Six Games Remaining
CSK sit sixth in the IPL 2026 points table after eight games, having won three and lost five. Six league matches remain. Their next fixture is at home against the Mumbai Indians on May 2.
The pressure is growing. CSK needs wins to stay in playoff contention, and while the squad has managed without Dhoni so far, his return would considerably change the dynamic in the dugout and the dressing room. Whether that happens in time to matter this season remains uncertain.
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