Chennai: Three matches gone, three matches missed — and still, the question consuming every CSK fan across the country remains the same: when is Thala coming back?
MS Dhoni, 44, has been on the sidelines since the very start of IPL 2026, nursing a calf strain he picked up during pre-season training. CSK officially confirmed on the tournament’s opening day that Dhoni is undergoing rehabilitation and is likely to miss the first two weeks of the season.
True to that word, he sat out all three games — against Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, and now Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
At the toss ahead of Sunday’s high-voltage clash at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad offered the most candid update yet. “MS is getting back slowly; sometimes it takes time. If he’s ready to play, it’ll be soon,” Gaikwad told News9live, choosing his words carefully, giving hope without making promises.
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming has been equally measured. “It is just a game without him. He is still heavily involved in the side, and his influence remains very strong,” Fleming told reporters — words that reassure but also quietly underline just how much his physical presence on the pitch is missed.
There were green shoots of optimism mid-week when CSK released a social media clip showing Dhoni back in light training — walking out with his kitbag, facing deliveries, and smashing a few trademark sixes in the nets, sending fans into a frenzy.
But the franchise remains cautious. Reports suggest Dhoni could take until late April to return to match fitness.
Meanwhile, CSK sit winless in three — a start that no one at Chepauk would have scripted. Should Dhoni eventually play, he will become only the third batter to appear in every single season of the IPL. The stakes, personal and professional, could not be higher.