Chennai Super Kings have suffered a blow as wicket-keeper batter MS Dhoni will be reportedly missing the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier league (IPL) till last week of April, according to a TOI report.
Dhoni has suffered a calf strain in practice that could keep him out for around three weeks. Chennai Super Kings had earlier made the announcement that Dhoni will be sitting out for first two weeks. The official statement from CSK said, “MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain.”
But the sources suggest that he might be out for more time. If the reports are to be believed then, Dhoni will miss the matches against Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, the high-voltage clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Sanju Samson Likely to Keep Wickets
In MS Dhoni’s absence, Sanju Samson is the best choice to keep wickets as he will be a part of the Playing XI as well as confirmed by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad earlier. Samson is an experienced wicket-keeper and has performed the duties at the highest level.
Samson had earlier joined CSK after a trade deal with Rajasthan Royals that saw Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran exiting the Super Kings.
The right-handed batter has been in some brilliant touch and scored crucial runs for India in the T20 World Cup 2026. He struck 97* against West Indies in a virtual quarter-final, 89 against England in the semi-final and another 89 against New Zealand in the final.
Samson would look to continue his purple patch in the IPL as well. Chennai Super Kings will begin the campaign against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on Monday.
Chennai Super Kings IPL 2026 Squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Kartik Sharma, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar
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