Amid rising concerns and speculation over MS Dhoni‘s continued absence from IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming dropped a bombshell, revealing that the delay in his first appearance this season was due to a second injury. Speaking to the press in Chennai after the team’s fifth defeat in IPL 2026, Fleming said that the former captain had tweaked his calf again.
A calf injury had sidelined Dhoni since the start of the season. CSK had initially said he would need two weeks to recover, but at the four-week mark, there is still no update on when he will make his first appearance for Chennai in IPL 2026.
Fleming revealed on Sunday that Dhoni had tweaked his calf during a warm-up game. “He’s pretty keen,” the coach said. “The calf is a tough one, though. If he takes off and rips it again, then he will be gone. We pushed it early, and in the warm-up game he tweaked it again, it’s my understanding. Since then, he has just been working hard to get some movement into it, but there was a setback, so it has taken longer than we thought.”
Dhoni has been a regular at the Chennai nets, but has limited himself to facing only throwdowns. More recently, ahead of the match against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium earlier this week, speculation was rife over his return after he was seen keeping wickets in the nets. However, he did not even show up at the venue on match day, nor was he seen at Chepauk on Sunday during the home game against the Titans.
“He is the guide on this one, and he’s working hard with the physio and doing all the rehab, and we’re just waiting for the word,” Fleming added. “All I can say is stop making light of it, as he is progressing and doing everything he can.”
Chennai are currently placed sixth in the points table, with five defeats from eight games. They have a five-day break until their next match, a home fixture against the Mumbai Indians on May 2. But given Fleming’s comments, it is likely that Dhoni might miss that game as well.
