MS Dhoni’s delayed appearance for Chennai Super Kings on the field has been linked to him pushing himself too hard during a pre-season training match, where he aggravated a calf issue that was already giving him trouble.
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming explained the situation after the franchise suffered an eight-wicket defeat against Gujarat Titans on Sunday. “The calf is a tough one,” Fleming said. “If he goes for a burst of pace and the calf is torn open again, then he’s likely to be out for the entire tournament. That’s why we held him back early. My understanding is that during a warm-up match, it got tweaked again. Since then, he’s been putting in a lot of work to restore some movement, but there was a setback.”
Dhoni has been part of CSK’s setup since March, and there has been no shortage of footage from social media showing him taking part in practice matches and net sessions. Still, he has yet to feature in any of CSK’s eight league games so far, and he has not been seen at the venue on match days either. The 44-year-old has previously played IPL seasons despite injuries, but this calf problem is taking longer to settle than CSK had expected.
Fleming, however, stressed that the team is staying patient with their veteran wicketkeeper-batter. “That said, he’s the one in charge of his own process here,” Fleming added. “He’s working hard with the physio and going through the rehab sessions. We’re just waiting for the right signal. And what I can keep saying is that this isn’t being treated lightly—he is progressing and doing everything the plan requires.”
Ruturaj Gaikwad provided an update on Dhoni as well, sharing the latest information through CSK’s social media channel. In the post dated April 22, 2026, Gaikwad said, “Rutu shares the latest on MSD!”
Four days prior, CSK’s social media account had carried a message in which the captain outlined how Dhoni’s calf issue began during the pre-season. “You know, we were playing a practice match. That’s when he snapped his calf and wasn’t able to run the way he wanted to,” Gaikwad explained. “And I think after that, it was about watching the youngsters in practice games and in match simulations—seeing that they were ready, and that they had the ability to play in the IPL.”
Gaikwad further said recovery time was the key factor in Dhoni’s absence. “After that, it was just about taking time with his recovery. Slowly, slowly, he’s getting there. You never know—maybe next game, maybe the one after that, but definitely one day.”
With eight matches played so far, CSK sit sixth in the points table, having won three games and lost five. The team has six league fixtures remaining in IPL 2026, with their next match scheduled at home against Mumbai Indians on May 2.
