Why did MS Dhoni miss SRH vs CSK clash of IPL 2026?

MS Dhoni has not played any matches for CSK in IPL 2026 so far.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are clashing in the Indian Premier League 2026 on Saturday, April 18. The encounter is taking place at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

While CSK won their previous game against the Kolkata Knight Riders, SRH defeated the Rajasthan Royals. Both teams have won two games and lost three out of five so far. Hence, they have suffered a poor start to the tournament.

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and opted to field first. Notably, MS Dhoni is not part of the clash. He has not played any games for CSK in IPL 2026 so far.

Why is MS Dhoni not part of CSK’s playing XI vs SRH?

Just ahead of IPL 2026, Dhoni suffered a calf injury during the pre-season training sessions. As a result, he was ruled out of the initial games of the tournament.

The CSK management had informed that Dhoni would miss the first two weeks due to the injury. He has commenced his practice sessions with the team. However, he is yet to return to the field. In recent times, there has been no update from the CSK management regarding Dhoni’s return.

“It’s good to be up from the bottom, definitely. But I think from the second game, we started doing basic things right. Our batting was good, our bowling was good, our fielding has been 50-50. But I think in all departments, we have been doing really well. And the key today is to just stay consistent and just do the basic things right,” Gaikwad said at the toss.  

Recently, CSK suffered a big blow as pacer Khaleel Ahmed was ruled out of IPL 2026 due to injury. While CSK await the return of Dhoni, SRH are waiting for Pat Cummins to join their squad.

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