IPL 2026: Which player will CSK drop if MS Dhoni plays tonight against KKR?
MS Dhoni is expected to play for CSK in the clash against KKR.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have missed the services of MS Dhoni in the Indian Premier League 2026 so far. The wicket-keeper batsman suffered a calf injury just ahead of the tournament during pre-season training.
The CSK management had informed that Dhoni will miss the first two weeks of the tournament. As per several reports, he has regained his fitness and is highly likely to play in the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
CSK and KKR are set to clash on Tuesday, April 14, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. While KKR still aim for their first victory of IPL 2026, CSK won their first game by defeating the Delhi Capitals (DC).
If MS Dhoni plays, who will he replace?
If Dhoni plays in the CSK vs KKR encounter, he is likely to replace Ayush Mhatre or Sarfaraz Khan in the playing XI. CSK can also play one of them as an impact player in the encounter.
Mhatre has played in all four matches. He got out for single digits in two games but scored half-centuries in the other two. On the other hand, Sarfaraz was also picked in all four matches but batted in three games. He has registered scores of 17, 32, and 50.
Meanwhile, Dhoni’s return will be a big boost for the Men-in-Yellow as he will also guide Gaikwad with captaincy. In the previous game, Dewald Brevis returned to the playing XI. Due to a side strain, Brevis missed the first three matches.
Notably, Samson has taken the wicket-keeping duties for CSK so far. If Dhoni plays against KKR, Samson might play as a pure batter.
Meanwhile, CSK are placed in the ninth spot in the IPL 2026 points table with two points. They have won one and lost three out of four matches. KKR languish in the last place with one point. Out of four games, they lost three, while one match was abandoned due to rain.
When will MS Dhoni play for CSK in IPL 2026?
Dhoni is likely to play in the CSK vs KKR clash.
Why did Dhoni miss the initial games of IPL 2026?
Dhoni was ruled out of the initial games due to a calf injury.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.