Ruturaj Gaikwad at last provides update on MS Dhoni's recovery, answers the burning question

IPL 2026, RCB vs CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad provided a crucial update on MS Dhoni. Here's what he said.

Updated on: Apr 5, 2026, 19:19:01 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad provided a crucial update on MS Dhoni, saying the talisman is recovering and will soon attain full fitness. The 44-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is currently on the sidelines as he is undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, CSK confirmed that the five-time tournament winner is all but set to miss the first two weeks of the 19th edition of the competition.

Ruturaj Gaikwad provided crucial update on MS Dhoni. (PTI)

In Dhoni's absence, Sanju Samson has been doing the wicketkeeping duties for the franchise. At the toss ahead of the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), CSK captain Gaikwad was asked about an update on Dhoni, and then he gave a lowdown on his current progress.

Also Read: RCB vs CSK LIVE Score, IPL 2026: Check our live coverage here

“He is on track. He is getting there slowly, slowly. He is eager to play. But you know it takes time sometimes. It will be soon,” Gaikwad said at the toss when Ravi Shastri asked him about an update on Dhoni.

Dhoni has already missed the opening three matches for CSK in the IPL 2026 season. The franchise has already lost the opening two games against the Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, and heads into the game against RCB as underdogs.

The chatter has already begun about whether the ongoing IPL season will be Dhoni's last as a player for the franchise, with whom he has won five titles. In the last edition, the wicketkeeper-batter came under severe scrutiny over his batting position as he came to bat as low as No.8 in some games.

Last season, Dhoni played 14 matches for CSK, scoring 196 runs at an average of 24.50 and a 135.17 strike rate. Dhoni also donned the captain's hat after Gaikwad got ruled out due to a hairline fracture.

Ever since CSK signed Samson, there has been significant chatter about Dhoni's future in the tournament. Dhoni is only the fourth player to feature in all 19 seasons of the competition, alongside Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Manish Pandey.

RCB-CSK clash

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and opted to bowl first against RCB at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. The five-time champions did not make any changes to their playing XI, and the same was true for the defending champions, RCB.

RCB are playing a match after eight days. The defending champions won their opening match against Sunrisers Hyderabad after chasing down a target of more than 200 runs.

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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