A major update arrives for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) regarding their legend MS Dhoni, who was ruled out of their first match of the ongoing IPL 2026 because of a calf injury. And, he is expected to miss a few more matches as well.

Amid Dhoni’s uncertainty over his IPL 2026, and CSK’s disappointing performance against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), a major update has arrived, for which the CSK fans can take a breath of relief.

When will MS Dhoni play his first IPL 2026 match for CSK?

According to the latest updates, MS Dhoni is likely to return to the field on March 14, when the Super Kings will take on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. If things go according to plan, then the former captain can be featured in the upcoming CSK vs KKR game.

Before the KKR match on April 14, CSK will have to play three more crucial games, which will be against the Punjab Kings (April 3), the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (April 5), and the Delhi Capitals (April 11), respectively. As in the Rajasthan Royals match, Dhoni could miss the upcoming three fixtures as well.

Ravichandran Ashwin was shocked by MS Dhoni's decision

Before kicking off the IPL 2026 journey, the management officially informed that their legendary keeper-batter and former captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, is set to miss the initial few matches of the league because of a calf injury. Without Dhoni in the line-up, the multiple-time IPL winners fell brutally in their first match of the season. Currently, he is undergoing a rehabilitation program in Chennai rather than traveling with the team.

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Former CSK off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin previously said on his YouTube channel that Dhoni’s decision not to travel with the team is a bit unusual for him, as he mostly stayed with the squad.

“That is his personal choice. Mahi usually does not do this. If he is in the squad, he travels. Maybe he might have done rehab also. But it is his personal choice; how can we give our opinion on that decision? But CSK’s fan base will definitely come for this game,” Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

CSK should make a strong comeback after the brutal defeat vs RR

The upcoming matches are going to be very important for the team, especially after the disappointing result against the Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, where the team in Yellow suffered a batting collapse. On a sticky surface, star batters of the team like Sanju Samson, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ayush Mhatre lost their guards cheaply. In exchange for ten wickets, they managed to register only 127 runs, which was easily chased down by RR.

The Royals won the match in style by 8 wickets and 47 balls. In their next three games, CSK will play 2 matches on their home ground in Chennai, including their upcoming clash against the Punjab Kings. In front of the home crowd, the five-time IPL champions will try their best to exhibit their best show to claim their first win in the ongoing season to revive the confidence of the players, which was affected because of the unexpected outcome in their previous match.