Chennai Super Kings stalwart MS Dhoni is expected to miss the IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Dhoni is still working through the aftermath of a calf problem picked up during the pre-season and, with the tournament underway, he has yet to feature in a single game for CSK this season.
Although the former India captain has been training for some time, it is understood he is not fully back to match readiness. Reports suggest the most likely return window is the CSK clash versus Gujarat Titans on May 21, but the final call is said to rest with Dhoni himself, in consultation with the team management and medical staff.
On Wednesday, Rohit Sharma and Dhoni were seen batting together in the nets session at the venue, wearing their respective training gear. That said, neither player had been officially cleared for availability at the time of the session ahead of the IPL encounter.
Rohit, who played in the opening four matches for MI, had left the field during the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru about ten days earlier due to a hamstring injury. Since then, he has been working his way back through training.
Dhoni, meanwhile, has not taken the field in IPL action so far. His absence is linked to the calf strain he picked up shortly before the tournament began in late March, leaving him to gradually build up fitness through practice.
CSK’s veteran had a full-on workload during Tuesday’s session, including a wicket-keeping stint followed by batting drills in the nets. On Wednesday, he started with a brief session, took a break, and later returned to face throwdown specialists and fast bowlers for nearly an hour.
His batting looked somewhat mixed in the nets—there were balls he struck cleanly, but he also missed a few. CSK bowling coach Eric Simons indicated Dhoni’s availability will hinge on how “happy” both Dhoni and the team’s medical group feel about his condition.
There were also a few lighter moments during the session. Known for his love of dogs, Dhoni spotted an AI-powered IPL robotic dog and spent a short time interacting with it on the field. He attempted to get the robot to mimic his gestures, though the machine didn’t always respond as he hoped.
Earlier, Rohit had reached the Wankhede with his family and then went through his batting session under the lights. The team indicated he has been batting during the lead-up, and the ultimate decision on whether he makes the XI is expected around toss time on Thursday.
From his body language, Rohit did not appear to be carrying any particular discomfort. He seemed focused on timing and placement more than going after the ball in a big way during his session.
In MI’s net activity, India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav took part in three separate batting stints on Wednesday. That was MI’s only full-squad training session, with an additional optional session held on Tuesday.
While Suryakumar had been able to strike a composed half-century in an away game against Delhi Capitals, he has not yet shown the same level of steadiness he produced last season—when he recorded 16 straight scores of at least 25 runs.
