CSK’s batting coach Michael Hussey has explained why MS Dhoni stays away from the stadium on match days, even though the former captain attends pre-match net sessions. Dhoni, who is yet to feature in the current season, has not been spotted at the ground during CSK’s games in the ongoing tournament, a decision Hussey says was made with the team’s focus firmly in mind. The Australian, speaking on Friday, May 1, ahead of CSK’s important encounter against MI, said he would naturally like to have Dhoni in the dressing room on game day, but the call ultimately belonged to the wicketkeeper-batter himself.
Hussey noted that Dhoni is deeply invested in the collective cause and felt his presence could end up drawing attention away from the players’ routine. “He’s such a team-orientated guy,” Hussey said. “He always wants what’s best for the team. He was worried that if he came there’d be a bit too much of a distraction—obviously the cameras would be on him a lot, and the crowd would be cheering for him. He really wanted the group to just be able to do their job and go about our thing.” Hussey added that while he personally values Dhoni’s presence, the rationale behind the skipper’s choice was straightforward: avoid turning himself into a focal point and allow the team to operate without extra noise. “He’s been watching very closely back home,” Hussey said, while also stressing that Dhoni continues to show up for training and brings a lively energy there, offering guidance and experience to the players.
With headlines repeatedly tying Dhoni to a potential return ahead of IPL 2026 whenever CSK play, Hussey suggested the timeline might not be stretched for long. He said Dhoni is progressing well and hinted that a return could arrive sooner than many expect. “I don’t know if it’s tomorrow or maybe the next match after that, but he’s progressing really well,” Hussey said. He pointed to improvements in Dhoni’s running work as a key factor, explaining that the last hurdle is maintaining strong movement late in an innings when quick sprints—those ones and twos—become crucial. “We’re very confident from a skill perspective with his batting and his wicketkeeping,” Hussey added. “It was just making sure that he could maintain good running power, particularly towards the back end of an innings. As soon as he’s got the confidence in his calf, I’m sure he’ll give it the tick to be ready to go.” Hussey also made clear that the entire Chennai camp, and the fans beyond it, are watching for that moment. “We’re kind of guided by him at the moment. But we’re waiting. I think all of Chennai’s waiting. All the fans are waiting and hoping.”
Hussey also admitted that CSK are still figuring out the best way to handle the impact player rule. The franchise has already faced criticism for bringing the substitute in early on a couple of occasions this season, with the strategy not delivering the desired outcomes. “I think we’ve been experimenting a little bit,” Hussey said. “We’ve had obviously four substitutes there ready to go in according to the situation of the match. Sometimes it’s worked really well—for example, Akeal Hosein came in and bowled extremely well in one particular match as the impact sub. But there are other times it hasn’t quite worked out. Like in the last match it didn’t quite work out for us.”
He said the coaching staff are constantly weighing whether the impact player is being used in the most effective way—either for maximum disruption at the right moment, or whether early changes risk destabilising established roles within the side. “It’s something that we’re talking about a lot behind the scenes—how best we use it,” Hussey explained. “Do we use it in a strategic way, like we have been, by trying to insert a certain player in at the right time to have the biggest impact in the game? But then on the other hand, is that having an impact and destabilising the other players in the team, such as Brevis or Dube?” Hussey suggested CSK may look to build more stability across the innings and consider deploying the impact player later instead. “That’s something that we’re talking about a lot behind the scenes,” he said. “And I think we’re starting to sort of think okay, well maybe we’d like to keep a bit more stability there through the year, and then just use the impact player maybe towards the back end of the innings.”
