Three wins in eight matches so far in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 but there’s no update on MS Dhoni‘s potential return to the team. With just six league games to go, it’s not clear if fans are ever going to see Dhoni play in the T20 league again. In fact, Dhoni’s former CSK teammate Ravichandran Ashwin has claimed that Dhoni would only return to the team if CSK are out of the playoffs contention. If the franchise does progress to the next round, fans might not get to see Dhoni don the yellow shirt again.
Since the start of the tournament, it has been said that Dhoni has been battling a calf injury. He was expected to return in the franchise’s last game against the Gujarat Titans but it didn’t happen. It was later revealed that Dhoni has encountered another injury. However, many experts of the game feel like there’s another reason behind the absence of the ‘Thala’ that the franchise isn’t making public.
“If CSK gets out of the tournament, then MS Dhoni might play. CSK are still in the tournament, so why will they take the risk now? I still feel that CSK have a chance to qualify for the playoffs. But yeah, it is difficult. The way CSK have played in the last five matches, it has given them a little confidence. CSK’s bowling is firing, if their batting fires, they can put together three wins on the bounce,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
MIC DROP STATEMENT BY RAVI ASHWIN ON MS DHONI:
– “I’ll say this directly—if CSK gets knocked out of the tournament, then maybe Dhoni will play. Before that, it’s not possible.” pic.twitter.com/HMsDiRPdaf
— Sam (@Cricsam01) April 27, 2026
Earlier, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said that Dhoni’s injury is such that he can’t be risked at the moment. If he is pushed for a return, a repeat of the injury might rule him out of the remaining season.
“The calf is a tough one, though. If he takes off and rips it again, then he will be gone. We pushed it early, and in the warm-up game he tweaked it again, it’s my understanding. Since then, he has just been working hard to get some movement into it, but there was a setback, so it has taken longer than we thought.
“He is the guide on this one, and he’s working hard with the physio and doing all the rehab, and we’re just waiting for the word. All I can say is stop making light of it, as he is progressing and doing everything he can,” Fleming said on Sunday after CSK’s loss.
Ashwin, a former Super Kings player himself, wants the franchise to put its entire focus on the next game against the Mumbai Indians and focus on winning the remaining 6 matches.
“If CSK has to stay in the tournament, they have to win the next game. If you can win against MI, you can be back in the mid-table muddle. All of the matches CSK have remaining, they will be playing on good batting wickets, and even Ruturaj is back in form. Winning four of six matches is not that hard,” he added.
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