Will he? Won't he? The wait continues to see MS Dhoni back on the field for the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. However, ahead of the marquee fixture between CSK and the Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, CSK legend Suresh Raina dropped a huge update on the wicketkeeper's availability for the contest against the arch-rival. CSK are languishing in the bottom half of the points table, and the franchise desperately needs Dhoni to return and take the team out of a crisis.
Dhoni has been training with the CSK squad on the eve of the games, but on match days, he has opted to stay away from travelling to the stadium. Hence, it was no surprise to see Dhoni training with the team on Friday, and his interactions with Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav grabbed eyeballs.
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Initially, CSK announced that Dhoni would miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to a calf strain, but his recovery has taken longer, and no one really knows whether he will take the field in the ongoing edition.
However, ahead of the match against the Mumbai Indians, Raina dropped a huge update, saying in all likelihood, the 44-year-old Dhoni is set to return to the field for this marquee contest.
{{/usCountry}}However, ahead of the match against the Mumbai Indians, Raina dropped a huge update, saying in all likelihood, the 44-year-old Dhoni is set to return to the field for this marquee contest.
{{/usCountry}}"Aaj khel rahe hai shayad. Aaj khel rahe hai. Khel rahe hai bhai logo (He will play tonight)," said Raina on JioStar.
Hearing this, the anchor Jatin Sapru remarked, “Ab aayega na maza. (Now fun will be had).”
Why has Dhoni decided to stay away?
On Friday, during the pre-match press conference, CSK batting coach Michael Hussey revealed the real reason behind Dhoni's decision not to travel with the team on match days, saying the wicketkeeper-batter doesn't want to draw all the attention and distract his teammates.
When asked whether Dhoni will play, Hussey didn't give any definitive answer, saying the maestro is progressing really well and the final call on his participation will be taken later.
Speaking of CSK, the five-time champions are currently in the seventh spot in the points table, and the franchise must register a win against the Mumbai Indians to keep alive its hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.
CSK will be playing a game in one week. The latest match saw the team go down against the Gujarat Titans. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad showed some signs of coming back to form, but his unbeaten knock went in vain.