NEW DELHI: As Chennai Super Kings gear up for a blockbuster meeting with Mumbai Indians at Chepauk, the central talking point is whether MS Dhoni will finally return to IPL action in 2026. CSK batting coach Michael Hussey delivered a positive update ahead of the contest, saying the veteran wicketkeeper-batter is steadily improving as he works his way back from a calf injury that has kept him sidelined for the last three weeks.
Hussey’s message was cautiously optimistic, even as he acknowledged the timing could still shift depending on Dhoni’s body. “Hopefully he’ll be back as soon as possible. I don’t know if it’ll be tomorrow or maybe the next match after that, but he’s progressing really well,” he said on the eve of the clash.
While Hussey stressed that Dhoni’s core cricketing skills have not gone anywhere, the priority has been restoring his full running fitness—an aspect that becomes especially important in the later phases of an innings. “I know he’s been upping his running speeds and that was probably the sticking point. We’re very confident from a skill perspective with his batting and his wicketkeeping,” Hussey explained.
According to the coach, the rehabilitation has been geared toward ensuring Dhoni can keep moving with confidence, particularly when the match tightens and the batter has to pick up quick singles and twos while also reading the field. “It was just making sure that he could maintain good running power, particularly towards the back end of an inning where he’s going to have to scan for those ones and twos. So as soon as he’s got the confidence in his calf, then I’m sure he’ll give it the tick to ready to go,” Hussey added.
Even with the progress, Hussey made it clear that the final call remains with Dhoni. “Once he feels confident in his calf, I’m sure he’ll give the signal that he’s ready to go. At the moment, we’re guided by him. We’re waiting. I think all of Chennai is waiting,” the coach said.
There is another reason Dhoni hasn’t been seen in the dugout during matches: it has been a conscious decision to reduce distractions. Hussey revealed that Dhoni, by nature, is focused on putting the team first, and he believed his presence would draw too much attention. “He’s such a team-orientated guy, MS Dhoni. He always wants what’s best for the team and he was worried that if he came, there’d be a bit too much of a distraction,” Hussey said.
With cameras inevitably drawn toward Dhoni and the crowd cheering for him, Hussey suggested Dhoni wanted CSK to be able to concentrate without an extra spotlight. “Obviously, the cameras would be on him a lot. The crowd would be cheering for him… he really wanted the team to just be able to go about their job,” Hussey added.
That said, Dhoni’s involvement hasn’t stopped behind the scenes. Hussey noted that the former captain has been keeping a close eye on proceedings from home and continuing his preparation with regular training. “He’s been watching very closely back home. He’s at training all the time… a bubbly personality and offers a lot of his experience,” Hussey said.
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