Who will replace MS Dhoni in CSK’s XI for RR vs CSK clash of IPL 2026?

MS Dhoni will miss RR vs CSK clash of IPL 2026, which will be played on March 30 in Guwahati.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will open their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 tournament against Rajasthan Royals on March 30, 2026. This game will be played at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. RR will be led by Riyan Parag, who was recently named the new full-time captain.

This match will see Sanju Samson, who was traded to CSK from RR, playing against his old franchise, and so will Ravindra Jadeja, who was traded to RR from CSK. It will be an interesting match to see players clashing against their former teammates.

However, one huge news was that MS Dhoni will be missing a significant number of matches in the IPL 2026, after suffering a calf injury. This will be one of the few times when Dhoni will miss multiple matches in a single IPL edition.

Therefore, it remains to be seen who will replace MS Dhoni in the CSK XI for the time being.

Sanju Samson to keep wickets in place of MS Dhoni; Urvi Patel likely to play as batter in RR vs CSK clash

With MS Dhoni out of contention for a few matches, there was also a question about who would keep wickets for CSK. They have quite a few options in Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Urvil Patel, who are all keepers and have done so in top-flight cricket.

However, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has confirmed that it will be Sanju Samson, who will keep wickets for CSK in the matches MS Dhoni will be absent.

“Sanju Samson will keep wickets in the absence of Thala in this IPL. The way Sanju was welcomed in Chennai in our preseason event shows how much the fans love him,” CSK CEO was quoted as saying by RevSportz.

Sanju Samson has a good record in IPL when it comes to fielding, as he has taken 86 catches and affected 17 stumpings in 177 games. He has kept wickets in all the teams he has played in the IPL.

Now the burning question is who will replace MS Dhoni as a player in the CSK XI for the first game against the Rajasthan Royals. There are many options like Sarfaraz Khan, Kartik Sharma, Urvil Patel, or an all-rounder who can hit big shots in the end.

The most favourable choice seems to be Urvil Patel, as he will fit seamlessly into the finisher role that MS Dhoni performed. He had played 3 games for CSK in IPL 2026 and scored 68 runs with a strike rate of 212.50, and will be the most favoured replacement option.

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