In what has come as a massive blow to five-time champions Chennai Super Kings, former India captain MS Dhoni is all set to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026 as he undergoes rehab for a calf strain, the franchise announced on Saturday, March 28.
Chennai Super Kings will begin their campaign against the Rajasthan Royals on March 30 in Guwahati.
Assuming that Dhoni only misses two weeks of IPL 2026, one would expect that he would return for Chennai’s match against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday, March 11 or for the game against the Kolkata Knight Riders on April 14.
“MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of TATA IPL 2026," Chennai Super Kings tweeted on Saturday morning.
In the absence of Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings could hand wicketkeeping duties to Sanju Samson, seen as the former India skipper’s successor within the setup.
Samson was brought in ahead of the IPL 2026 auction last December, with CSK trading Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to the Rajasthan Royals to bag his services.
Dhoni has continued to feature in the Indian Premier League since retiring from international cricket in August 2020. Last season, he played all 14 games for the Chennai Super Kings, scoring 196 runs at an average of 24.5 with a strike rate of 135.17.
Dhoni also stepped in to lead the team early in the campaign after an elbow injury ruled out regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad from the tournament.
Chennai Super Kings endured a forgettable 2025 season, finishing bottom of the table with just four victories from 14 games.
At 44, any appearance by Dhoni in this edition would make him the oldest Indian to feature in the Indian Premier League, going past former Mumbai Indians leg-spinner Pravin Tambe.
