Chennai Super Kings will look to build on the boost of their first win of the season when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday. KKR, meanwhile, are still searching for their opening victory of the campaign.
CSK broke their early-season duck with a well-rounded performance against Delhi Capitals. The batting was led by Sanju Samson, who struck 115 off 56 balls—his first significant impact for the franchise. The bowling unit then backed up the total, ensuring CSK could defend what they had set.
A key factor for Chennai was the return of Dewald Brevis, who was declared fit again. That gave the team the freedom to fine-tune its bowling mix, which ultimately proved decisive as they held their ground to defend 212 against Delhi Capitals.
Dhoni light session in nets ahead of KKR game
MS Dhoni took part in a brief batting session in the nets prior to the KKR match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, but he remains unlikely to feature in Tuesday’s contest. Dhoni has been sidelined for all four of CSK’s matches this season because of a calf issue, and the expectation is that he will miss the fifth game as well. The 44-year-old is still working toward full fitness.
Back on March 28, CSK had indicated that Dhoni would miss the first two weeks of the tournament and would go through a rehabilitation phase. While that timeline has passed, he has yet to show the type of match-ready condition required for selection.
During practice, Dhoni has only faced throwdowns. The deliveries have come mainly from batting coach and former CSK teammate Michael Hussey, and he has not batted at full intensity. He has also not taken part in wicketkeeping drills during training sessions.
In addition, Dhoni has not travelled with the squad for CSK’s away fixtures this season.
Speaking ahead of CSK’s earlier match against Punjab Kings, head coach Stephen Fleming stressed that Dhoni continues to have a role inside the team setup. “It is just a game without him. He is still heavily involved in the side, and his influence remains very strong,” Fleming had said.
Across 278 IPL appearances, Dhoni has accumulated 5,439 runs in 242 innings at an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45. His record includes 24 fifties, with a highest score of 84*—making him the sixth-highest run-scorer in the competition. Last season, when CSK finished at the bottom of the table, Dhoni scored 196 runs in 13 innings, averaging 24.50 with a strike rate slightly above 135, and a top score of 30.
