Summary of this article
MS Dhoni to miss first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to calf injury
Sanju Samson will take on the wicket-keeping duties in Dhoni's absence
CSK will start their campaign against RR on March 30 in Guwahati
Chennai Super Kings have officially confirmed that MS Dhoni will miss the initial two weeks of the Indian Premier League 2026 due to a calf injury.
"MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of TATA IPL 2026," said CSK in a statement.
Despite retiring from international cricket back in 2020, Dhoni has been an integral part of the CSK team as a player till now. However, his IPL future gets the limelight every season as he's turned 44 now and is the oldest player playing currently in the league. Also, maintaining match fitness while playing only in the IPL at this age becomes tougher with each passing season.
Though Ruturaj Gaikwad is the designated captain of CSK, MS Dhoni is considered the de facto leader of the team, given his association with the franchise since the inception of IPL in 2008, apart from those two years (2016 and 2017) when the team was banned.
MS Dhoni featured in 14 matches last year for CSK, where he mostly batted towards the end of the innings to provide the late blitz. Unfortunately, in the last few years, he has been grappling with knee injuries and even had to undergo surgery in 2023.
CSK will begin their campaign against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on Monday, March 30, 2026.
