Chennai Super Kings\u2019 batting mentor Michael Hussey made the club\u2019s position clear on Thursday: once MS Dhoni is fit to return from his calf problem, he will not be brought back merely to bat as a specialist under the Impact Player framework. Instead, Hussey stressed that Dhoni\u2019s comeback will be as the wicketkeeper\u2014an expected return to his traditional duties behind the stumps\u2014after the veteran missed yet another IPL match due to the injury that has disrupted his schedule in the ongoing season.<\/p>\n
The 44-year-old sat out his seventh consecutive IPL 2026 game when CSK played Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. Dhoni\u2019s calf issue first sidelined him for a period beginning March 28, and while the timeline had suggested he might be back sooner, his recovery has taken longer than initially hoped. With Sanju Samson and Kartik Sharma available as wicketkeeping options in the squad, there was also some chatter that Dhoni could return purely as a batter, using the Impact Player rule to manage his workload and limit his exposure on the field.<\/p>\n
That idea was quickly dismissed by Hussey, who indicated that the calf fitness\u2014not the skill set\u2014is the deciding factor. \u201cOh, I\u2019m pretty sure he\u2019ll be behind the stumps. The biggest thing for him is that he\u2019s had the calf injury, it\u2019s just the running and late in innings; if he comes in, having to scamper those ones and twos, he just needs to make sure the calf is strong enough to withstand that,\u201d Hussey said during a mid-match conversation with the broadcaster. He added that the team is confident about Dhoni\u2019s capabilities as a wicketkeeper as well as his batting quality. \u201cBut certainly from a skill perspective, we know what he can do as a keeper. We know he\u2019s batting, he\u2019s batting really well, so it\u2019s just hopefully getting that confidence in the calf,\u201d Hussey added.<\/p>\n
Dhoni\u2019s ongoing absence has remained one of the defining storylines surrounding CSK games, and it was acknowledged again around the time of Thursday\u2019s contest. At the toss versus Mumbai Indians, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad referenced the gap left by Dhoni\u2019s unavailability, remarking on the crowd\u2019s reception while thanking \u201cthe legend (Dhoni) who is not here unfortunately,\u201d highlighting how much his presence matters beyond the on-field role.<\/p>\n
Even with no call-up to the playing XI yet, Dhoni has continued to show signs of progress. Ahead of the match, he took part in wicketkeeping work during the nets\u2014his first such session of the season\u2014offering a glimpse that the recovery is moving in the right direction. However, he was still not selected for the match, meaning he has now missed half of CSK\u2019s games so far in the tournament.<\/p>\n
When asked for an update, Hussey said Dhoni is improving but not at the stage where he can be considered match-ready. \u201cYeah, he\u2019s progressing really well. I know he\u2019s pushing hard to get back as quickly as he possibly can. I know all the fans want to see MS Dhoni out there playing as well. So we\u2019re hopeful maybe in the next few games. We want him back as quickly as he possibly can as well,\u201d Hussey said. He also pointed out that Dhoni\u2019s batting looks sharp in training, but the final step is building the confidence to run hard between the wickets. \u201cBut obviously he needs to be close to 100 per cent ready to give his best. Because he\u2019s been batting well on the nets. He looks good in the nets. Just needs to run hard between the wickets too,\u201d Hussey added.<\/p>\n
CSK will now shift their focus to their next assignment against Gujarat Titans in Chennai on Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chennai Super Kings\u2019 batting mentor Michael Hussey made the club\u2019s position clear on Thursday: once MS Dhoni is fit to return from his calf problem,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL: Hussey Confirms Dhoni Will Keep Wickets for CSK","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Michael Hussey confirms MS Dhoni will return as CSK\u2019s wicketkeeper, not just a batter, as his calf issue is expected to keep Samson\u2019s role unchanged.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n