The wait to see MS Dhoni in the ongoing IPL 2026 is only getting longer, and fans are now starting to worry. As this season is slowly moving towards its final stage, fans are still hoping for that one moment when MS Dhoni walks onto the field in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) jersey.
But match after match, that moment is just not coming in the ongoing IPL 2026. Recently, the legendary wicketkeeper Dhoni missed another Chennai Super Kings game this season.
Fitness concerns keep MS Dhoni sidelined in IPL 2026 as Chennai Super Kings legend avoids risk
There were hopes that Dhoni would turn up for the five-time champions against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, but fans were once again left disappointed.
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Instead of travelling with the CSK squad to Delhi, Dhoni stayed back in Chennai to continue his rehab. The CSK icon is yet to play this season because of his long recovery from the calf injury that he picked up just before the pre-season training.
The 44-year-old has decided against rushing anything. It is being said that the former Indian captain is fully focused on recovery and does not want to take any risk at this stage.
No half-fit comeback for MS Dhoni!!
Meanwhile, there are reports claiming that Dhoni is 100% fit, yet he decided not to play at this stage. But the fact is that the former Chennai Super Kings captain is not fully fit, so he kept himself sidelined. There is also a practical reason behind his decision.
Dhoni usually bats in the lower order at No. 7 or 8, where quick running between the wickets is very important, but he can’t do that right now because of the calf problem. So, the legendary cricketer decided to play only if he were 100% fit to bat for CSK in the tournament.
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Now, a Jagran News journalist also shared that Dhoni is not completely fit, as quoted by a top CSK official, and the legendary wicketkeeper-batter made it clear that he won’t play any part this season if he is not sure about his contributions because of his fitness.
हां मैं वहीं बैठा था। @ChennaiIPL के सबसे बड़े अधिकारी ने हमसे कहा कि @msdhoni फिट नहीं है। इसीलिए वो दिल्ली नहीं आए। उन्होंने मैनेजमेंट को कहा है जब तक वह पूरी तरह फिट नहीं होंगे तब तक नहीं खेलेंगे। https://t.co/MRzLfJlrzb
— Abhishek Tripathi / अभिषेक त्रिपाठी (@abhishereporter) May 6, 2026
Sanju Samson steps up as keeper in MS Dhoni’s absence for CSK in style
In MS Dhoni’s absence, Sanju Samson is doing the wicketkeeping for Chennai Super Kings this season. At the start, the 18-crore trade looked like a bold step because Sanju was struggling, but now it is looking like a masterstroke. Samson has settled into the CSK setup so smoothly that it feels like he has been part of the team for years.
His confidence, calmness, and smart batting have given massive strength to CSK. Samson has so far scored 402 runs at an average of 57.42 and a strike rate of nearly 168 in 10 matches for the five-time IPL champions this season.
He played a brilliant unbeaten 87 and guided CSK to a big victory over DC. The right-hander earlier struck an unbeaten 115 against the Delhi Capitals, and then 101 against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.
They will next host the Lucknow Super Giants on May 10 in the ongoing IPL 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. They are currently sitting sixth on the points table with 10 points from 10 games so far.
