It has almost been a year since MS Dhoni was last in competitive action, as he missed a chunk of Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) action with an injury. While the fans await MS Dhoni’s return on the field, there is some good news for all of them. Ahead of the IPL 2026 contest against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Dhoni is likely to travel to Lucknow, where CSK are next in action on Friday (May 15).
Dhoni to travel to Lucknow?
According to a report from a prominent media house, Dhoni is likely to be fit for the LSG contest on Friday. He has often missed traveling for away games this season, but could be on the plane for the Lucknow contest. As per reports, Dhoni is on his way to full recovery from an injury that has sidelined him from IPL 2026 in the early stages. Dhoni, who injured his calf muscle during the pre-season camp, hasn’t featured in a single match yet for CSK in the ongoing IPL.
Despite being with CSK since March and regularly featuring in practice games and net sessions, widely shared on social media, Dhoni has yet to make an appearance in any of the team’s eight matches so far.
Dhoni was retained by the Super Kings as an “uncapped player” for Rs 4 crore ahead of IPL 2025, and this retention was extended for IPL 2026, keeping his salary unchanged at Rs 4 crore.
Dhoni had a decent IPL 2025 season with the bat, making 196 runs from 14 matches at an average of 24.50 and a strike-rate of 135.17.
Chennai Super Kings are currently fifth on the points table, having recovered well from a difficult start that saw them suffer three consecutive defeats.
Mike Hussey opens up on why Dhoni is not with squad
Earlier, CSK batting coach Michael Hussey said that MS Dhoni deliberately chose not to attend CSK’s IPL 2026 matches because he didn’t want to become a distraction for the team.
“He’s such a team-oriented guy, MS Dhoni. He always wants what’s best for the team, and he was worried that if he came, there’d be a bit too much of a distraction. Obviously, the cameras would be on him a lot. The crowd would be cheering for him and things like that,” Hussey said.
What happened in CSK’s last match?
Urvil Patel smashed the joint-fastest half-century of the IPL 2026 to help the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) register a comprehensive five-wicket victory against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
