MS Dhoni travels with squad for MI vs CSK encounter, IPL return nears

Chennai Super Kings have played six matches in the 2026 IPL, and yet there still lie questions regarding MS Dhoni‘s participation in the tournament.

The former Super Kings skipper was ruled out for the early rounds of the season due to a calf injury. While he has been seen batting in the nets, there is still much doubt about when he will feature for the men in yellow. As reported by Cricbuzz, the CSK squad has reached Mumbai ahead of their match with rivals Mumbai Indians on April 23 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, and Dhoni is has travelled with the squad.

Speaking after their loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, batting coach Mike Hussey spoke of the ambiguity surrounding the storied wicketkeeper-batter’s fitness, focusing on his need to progress with his running loads, which are vital for batting in the back end of the innings, where Dhoni has featured for the Super Kings in recent years.

“Not really, I’m not sure. He’s progressing nicely with his rehab, and I’m happy with how he’s batting. It’s just about progressing with his running, because if he’s going to bat towards the back end of the innings, he’ll need to be able to run quick singles and twos. He just needs to build confidence in his running and improve his speed. I don’t know when he’ll play, but I’m hoping it’s sooner rather than later, like all the fans,” said Hussey about Dhoni’s possible return as quoted by NDTV Sports.

Madhwal, Hangargekar on CSK shortlist to replace Khaleel

The Super Kings have been plagued by injuries in 2026. Khaleel Ahmed is set to miss the season with a quadricep injury, while Ayush Mhatre injured his hamstring in the game against the Sunrisers and is set to undergo scans in Mumbai on April 20. The pair joins Nathan Ellis, who was ruled out at the start of the season.

Pictures of former Mumbai Indians fast-bowler Akash Madhwal travelling with the CSK squad have been doing the rounds on social media. It was later confirmed that Madhwal attended trials with the Super Kings in Hyderabad. Cricbuzz has also reported that former CSK player and Maharashtra all-rounder Rajvardhan Hangargekar is set to attend trials in Mumbai.

The Super Kings were beaten by the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad by ten runs, their fourth loss of the season. With two wins, they face the struggling Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on April 23.