MS Dhoni is 44 years old, and while Chennai Super Kings supporters would love to see their \u201cThala\u201d make an immediate impact every time he walks out, it\u2019s fair to say the veteran is no longer in his peak playing phase. Dhoni is currently unavailable for IPL 2026 due to a calf strain. Although he has begun practising wicketkeeping drills in the nets, there is still no clear timeline for when he will return to full action. Even so, his influence within the group remains visible.<\/p>\n
CSK opener Sanju Samson has spoken at length about what it feels like to represent the five-time title winners, and how Dhoni\u2019s presence continues to shape the environment around the team. Samson said the change in mindset has made him feel more accountable with every opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cA very different feeling for me\u2026 a very star-studded kind of franchise I am involved in nowadays. So I feel a bit more responsible. I cannot easily throw away my wicket,\u201d Samson said at an event.<\/p>\n
He added that the consequences of losing one\u2019s wicket are felt beyond the boundary rope. \u201cRight after you throw away your wicket, you are walking into the airport and people are like, \u2018Chetta, play more carefully\u2019. So I am getting very used to being a CSK player and I kind of settled in a bit too quickly, I feel. Being a championship side isn\u2019t about behaving like a champion or being arrogant or something like that. The base values are set by Mahi bhai and you can actually feel him in every team player and support staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
CSK\u2019s social media also highlighted Dhoni\u2019s ongoing wicketkeeping-centric status with a playful reminder: \u201cRule No. 1: Don\u2019t step out when Thala\u2019s behind the stumps.\u201d The post added, \u201cRule No. 2: Read Rule No. 1 again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings announced on Tuesday that Ayush Mhatre, a key member of their top order, will miss the rest of the tournament after picking up a hamstring problem. The injury was sustained during CSK\u2019s recent match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The franchise indicated that Mhatre will need between six and twelve weeks of rehabilitation.<\/p>\n
CSK said in its release: \u201cAyush Mhatre has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2026 due to a left hamstring injury sustained while batting during the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18. Ayush\u2019s injury will require a rehabilitation period of 6-12 weeks. We wish Ayush a speedy recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
After CSK\u2019s loss, batting coach Michael Hussey shared further details about the situation. He said he did not know the precise severity of the hamstring issue at the time, but noted that it looked serious.<\/p>\n
Mhatre had been brought in as an impact substitute for Gurjapneet Singh during the second over of CSK\u2019s chase of 195. The 18-year-old made an immediate mark, appearing sharp from the start and attacking the bowlers early, scoring a quick 30 off 12 balls. The knock came after CSK lost their opener Sanju Samson during the same pursuit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MS Dhoni is 44 years old, and while Chennai Super Kings supporters would love to see their \u201cThala\u201d make an immediate impact every time he…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"MS Dhoni Calf Strain Sidelines Him from IPL 2026","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"MS Dhoni\u2019s calf strain rules him out of IPL 2026 for now, but CSK still expects his leadership impact\u2014while Samson hints at a key role.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n