Chennai Super Kings’ preparations for their upcoming IPL 2026 meeting with Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday have been shadowed by the fitness status of captain and veteran wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni. CSK bowling consultant Eric Simons confirmed at the pre-match media interaction that Dhoni has not travelled with the squad to New Delhi, even as he continues his recovery from a calf issue. “An update on MS Dhoni is way above my pay grade. He is not with us but steadily improving. He will be ready when he is ready and he knows when he is ready to play. No, he hasn’t travelled with the team,” Simons said.
Dhoni’s status and CSK’s playoff pressure
Dhoni has not turned out in a single match this season, with his most recent IPL appearance arriving against Gujarat Titans on May 25 in the 2025 edition. CSK, meanwhile, find themselves positioned sixth in the points table after nine matches, having managed four wins so far. For the five-time champions, the path to the playoffs is tightly defined: they will need at least four more victories from their remaining fixtures to keep their qualification hopes alive.
One bright spot for Chennai has been the form of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has contributed runs in the last two games with unbeaten knocks of 74 and 67. Simons praised Gaikwad’s ability to keep going even when conditions and match situations are hostile, calling him a “surgeon in this world of chaos batting.”
- Simons said CSK’s leadership group is clearly headed by Gaikwad, and that the team is largely a matter of “when he gets his runs.”
- He pointed out that Gaikwad has faced difficult phases where CSK were under pressure, and that the wickets have also been challenging.
- Simons highlighted Gaikwad’s quality in not only scoring when conditions are easy, describing it as a defining trait of a top-tier batter.
- He noted Gaikwad’s ability to rack up impact quickly—citing examples of reaching 50 from 22 balls without making it obvious—while suggesting the same side of his batting is returning.
- Simons added that there was never doubt about Gaikwad’s captaincy and that the current run flow simply confirms what the team already knew.
Other batting concerns: Dube, Brevis, and the run-makers
Beyond Gaikwad, several other CSK batters have shown more consistent output. Simons referenced Sanju Samson, Urvil Patel and Kartik Sharma as players who have joined the run-making effort. However, he also acknowledged that Shivam Dube and Dewald Brevis have not yet produced meaningful innings in IPL 2026.
- Dube has flashed signs of power but has been uneven, accumulating 150 runs from eight innings at a strike rate of 140.
- Brevis is still searching for rhythm in the tournament, managing 64 runs across four knocks with an average of 16 and a strike rate of 121, after missing the early part of the season due to a side strain.
When asked about the lack of big contributions from Dube and Brevis, Simons played down any major concerns. He said there is nothing “really ailing” them, arguing that even top players often go through rough patches before producing a breakthrough innings. He also stressed the fast-moving nature of T20 cricket, where a couple of quiet matches can pass quickly and opportunities can arrive in clusters.
Simons further explained that the game’s tempo makes it easy to get caught in difficult stretches: batters can attempt to accelerate during tough periods, lose wickets, and suddenly a few innings disappear without getting the desired momentum. “They are both very, very experienced cricketers and very good cricketers with great records. It is just a case of when they come right,” he concluded, reinforcing the view that their returns are a timing issue rather than a form crisis.
