Will MS Dhoni play MI vs CSK clash in IPL 2026? Latest fitness update revealed

One of the million-dollar questions heading into the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 was when MS Dhoni would turn up for the Chennai Super Kings. The former captain was out of action for the first few weeks of the event due to his recovery from the knee injury. 

The wicket-keeper batter didn’t travel to the other cities and the grounds during the match days after he made his way to Hyderabad last week, before turning to Mumbai as they prepare themselves to feature in the contest against the Mumbai Indians at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.

MS Dhoni’s latest fitness update revealed ahead of MI vs CSK clash of IPL 2026

MS Dhoni’s first chances of playing for the franchise in this tournament have moved closer after the 44-year-old went through his first wicket-keeping session two evenings before the game. It was one of the rarest scenes in sports, with the veteran generally not practicing with gloves on match days. 

The session lasted 40 minutes when two batters, Sarfaraz Khan and Urvil Patel, were batting with the former captain behind the stumps. Many claimed that this was the first time they had seen the Jharkhand player undergo wicket-keeping drills behind the nets.

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After the session, the Ranchi-born padded up to ready for the batting session and went through it for nearly an hour, first facing the Super Kings bowlers before taking throwdowns. The wait for the fans to see Dhoni in yellow colours has extended for more than that duration, and if he does take the field, then it would be 25 days since the current season began.

The 44-year-old has been on the sidelines since the first game of the season, missing six games, recovering from a calf strain. The franchise released an official statement ahead of the edition.

CSK hit by list of injuries during IPL 2026 campaign

Injuries have made IPL 2026 the toughest for the Super Kings. Ahead of the season, Nathan Ellis was ruled out of the event, and they didn’t get the services of Dewald Brevis for the first three fixtures of the competition.

After their first victory of the season against the Delhi Capitals at home, Chennai lost the services of their left-arm pacer, Khaleel Ahmed, with another injury before wishing another speedy recovery of Ayush Mhatre with a hamstring injury for the rest of the event, which he picked up during the Sunrisers Hyderabad game.

Their next encounter against Mumbai on April 23 will take place at the Wankhede Stadium.