No MS Dhoni at Wankhede for MI clash, Rohit Sharma forlorn as Hardik Pandya drops big update

The wait continued on Thursday, with MS Dhoni not even turning up at the venue on match day.

Updated on: Apr 23, 2026, 19:36:36 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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Neither MS Dhoni nor Rohit Sharma featured in the first ‘El Clasico’ of IPL 2026. Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, who won the toss and opted to bowl at the Wankhede Stadium, named an unchanged XI from the side that beat Gujarat Titans three days ago, confirming that the injured Rohit was still not ready to return. Chennai Super Kings, meanwhile, made just one change — and it wasn’t the one many were expecting.

MS Dhoni with a robotic camera dog during a practice session ahead of the IPL 2026 match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings (PTI)

Dhoni, who suffered a calf injury ahead of the season, had been spotted batting and keeping at the Wankhede nets on the eve of the match, raising strong expectations of a comeback. However, the wait continued on Thursday, with the veteran not even turning up at the venue on match day.

While the net session had fuelled speculation, CSK bowling coach Eric Simmons had already downplayed the chances of an immediate return.

“MS will only play when he feels he is ready to go and the medical team clears him. I am not going to make any announcement sitting here,” Simmons said in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

MI vs CSK LIVE Score, IPL 2026

Like Dhoni, Rohit too had returned to training ahead of the clash after sustaining a hamstring injury during MI’s home game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 12. However, he did not look fully convincing during the sessions.

On Thursday, as MI players went through their warm-up drills, Rohit cut a forlorn figure in the dugout before Pandya confirmed that he would remain unavailable for the game.

Chennai made just one change, bringing in Prashant Veer in place of Matt Short.

Interestingly, the two most successful teams in IPL history — both with five titles each — find themselves in the bottom half of the table this season, with just two wins from six matches so far.

MI XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Krish Bhagat, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar

Impact Player options: Will Jacks, Raj Bawa, Shardul Thakur, Danish Malewar, Mayank Rawat

CSK XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Sanju Samson (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Gurjapneet Singh Mukesh Choudhary

Impact Player options: Prashant Veer, Matt Short, Matt Henry, Akeal Hosein, Urvil Patel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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