{"id":6931,"date":"2026-05-02T10:52:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T10:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/dhoni-set-for-csk-return-vs-mi-in-ipl-2026-as-raina-drops-big-hint"},"modified":"2026-05-02T10:52:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T10:52:09","slug":"dhoni-set-for-csk-return-vs-mi-in-ipl-2026-as-raina-drops-big-hint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/dhoni-set-for-csk-return-vs-mi-in-ipl-2026-as-raina-drops-big-hint","title":{"rendered":"Dhoni Set for CSK Return vs MI in IPL 2026 as Raina Drops Big Hint"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Chennai Super Kings (CSK) stalwart MS Dhoni is poised to return for his first IPL 2026 appearance on Saturday, with the wicketkeeper-batter expected to face their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI). The 44-year-old has missed the entire season so far due to a calf injury, and his prolonged absence has naturally fuelled plenty of discussion among fans and followers of the franchise. However, just hours before the CSK vs MI showdown at Chepauk, confidence around Dhoni\u2019s return has risen sharply.<\/p>\n<h2>Dhoni\u2019s return talk ahead of CSK vs MI<\/h2>\n<p>With the match day approaching, former CSK batter Suresh Raina shared a strong hint that Dhoni\u2019s comeback is close. Speaking on JioStar, Raina suggested that Dhoni would be available for the evening fixture against MI\u2014five-time champions\u2014at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.<\/p>\n<p>Raina\u2019s message was met with excitement on the broadcast, as the host Jatin Sapru reacted that the game would finally bring the fun fans have been waiting for.<\/p>\n<h2>Mike Hussey on Dhoni\u2019s calf recovery<\/h2>\n<p>On the eve of the contest, CSK batting coach Mike Hussey also addressed Dhoni\u2019s injury status in a pre-match press conference. Hussey said Dhoni\u2019s recovery from the calf problem has been progressing well and that he is likely to be seen back in action soon.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hussey said the plan depends on Dhoni\u2019s readiness and that a return could come either immediately or in the next match window, but the recovery has been moving in the right direction.<\/li>\n<li>He noted that Dhoni has been increasing his running intensity, which was viewed as a key sticking point in the rehabilitation process.<\/li>\n<li>From a cricketing perspective, Hussey expressed confidence about Dhoni\u2019s skills\u2014highlighting both his batting and his wicketkeeping\u2014as areas where the team feels comfortable.<\/li>\n<li>He also stressed that the crucial factor is whether Dhoni can sustain the kind of running power needed late in an innings, when quick singles and twos can decide the tempo of the chase or the finish of a competitive total.<\/li>\n<li>Hussey added that once Dhoni regains confidence in his calf, the \u201cgo-ahead\u201d should follow quickly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Who decides\u2014Dhoni or CSK?<\/h2>\n<p>While the coaching staff can monitor the recovery and prepare accordingly, Hussey underlined that the final call belongs to Dhoni. The batting coach explained that the team is currently following Dhoni\u2019s feedback and waiting for him to feel fully assured before signalling that he is ready.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hussey said that once Dhoni feels confident, he will give the signal that he is fit to play.<\/li>\n<li>He added that CSK is guided by Dhoni\u2019s condition and is in a holding pattern until that confidence is confirmed.<\/li>\n<li>Hussey concluded by noting that the entire Chennai setup is waiting for Dhoni\u2019s return.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>(With IANS inputs)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chennai Super Kings (CSK) stalwart MS Dhoni is poised to return for his first IPL 2026 appearance on Saturday, with the wicketkeeper-batter expected to face&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Dhoni Returns for CSK vs MI at Chepauk","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"IPL 2026: MS Dhoni set to return for CSK vs MI at Chepauk after calf injury layoff\u2014Raina hint sparks huge buzz ahead of matchday.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>IPL 2026: Dhoni Returns for CSK vs MI at Chepauk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"IPL 2026: MS Dhoni set to return for CSK vs MI at Chepauk after calf injury layoff\u2014Raina hint sparks huge buzz ahead of matchday.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/dhoni-set-for-csk-return-vs-mi-in-ipl-2026-as-raina-drops-big-hint\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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