Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni have been synonymous with each other since the inception, barring a couple of seasons when the Yellow Army was banned from participating in the Indian Premier League. In spite of age catching up to the veteran wicketkeeper, he has rarely missed any matches for the Super Kings. It is evident with the fact that Dhoni has played 278 games in the IPL.
However, the former five-time IPL-winning captain is set to miss the first few games of the ongoing IPL 2026. Dhoni will be sidelined, having suffered a calf strain which could keep him out of action till the last week of April. His absence, meanwhile, could prove to be a silver lining for Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Sanju Samson Set to Don Wicketkeeping Gloves in RR vs CSK
Sanju Samson, facing his former team, will return to a role that the fans have seen him doing for a number of years. With Dhoni being unavailable, Samson will get to take the wicketkeeping duties.
Even though Dhoni has stopped being the captain of the CSK team for a while and has witnessed a dip in batting form, it is his performances behind the stumps that have continued to impress the fans. The last time Dhoni missed out on keeping the wickets for CSK was all the way back in 2019; Ambati Rayudu took the gloves then.
Samson, making his debut for CSK, would know that getting the chance to keep the wickets will not come often. He would like to make the most of the opportunity as he aims to stamp his authority on the new franchise.
Ruturaj Gaikwad No More Under MS Dhoni’s Watchful Eyes
Ruturaj Gaikwad was named the captain of the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2024. Since then, the franchise has failed to make it to the playoffs. It was the first time in the glorious history of the franchise that they failed to make the playoffs two seasons in a row.
With MS Dhoni unavailable, Ruturaj will have a chance to stand out. The right-handed batter would want to showcase leadership and stamp authority on his players, reminding them that they can stand tall without the old guard watching.
MS Dhoni set to miss a major chunk of IPL 2026
The official statement from Chennai Super Kings regarding MS Dhoni’s unavailability said that the veteran wicketkeeper will miss the first two weeks of the tournament. However, sources suggest that Dhoni could be out of action for a longer period of time and would be on the bench for the last week of April.
