Chennai: Mahendra Singh Dhoni In the last lap of his career. For all practical purposes, this is going to be his last. IPL. And now, it seems his 44-year-old body is defying his will even for this final burst.Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Dhoni, who has been training hard for over a month, has suffered a calf strain in practice that could keep him out for around three weeks. While the official CSK release mentions a two-week holiday, team sources say he is unlikely to return before the last week of April.This could mean the legend misses at least six matches, with a possible return against Mumbai Indians on April 23 also uncertain.stay behind“It is definitely a big blow for us and we will have to deal with it,” said a senior CSK official. Dhoni has not traveled to Guwahati for the team’s first match against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday and is recuperating in Chennai. “He is resting and we want him back as soon as possible,” the source said.While Dhoni’s absence dampens the buzz around CSK, it could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The five-time IPL-winning captain was nowhere near his best in the last two seasons and his role was limited to short batting spells after the 15th over due to constant injuries.It was about time the Super Kings got a capable lower-order batsman and in Dhoni’s absence, the door could open for players like Prashant Vir and Karthik Sharma – brought in for Rs 14.2 crore – to take charge at the back end of the innings with some explosive batting.Samson will be wicket keeping.The keeping aspect, though, is well covered Sanju Samson Not long ago, CSK CEO Kashi Viswanathan said that Dhoni is unlikely to play all the games, indicating that Sanju will be number one. 1 ‘Keeper.It also meant that Dhoni would be the ‘impact sub’ as a batsman and now, after the injury, the decision could be forced on CSK even when their star player returns.The fact that Dhoni has not traveled with the team and will not be in the dugout clearly shows that during the match, the team will have its eyes on the new leadership group. Rituraj Gaikwad And Samson to make the key calls, perhaps in consultation with coach Stephen Fleming.While CSK diehards hope to catch a glimpse of Dhoni later in the IPL at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the next three weeks will give us an indication of the direction the five-time champions will take in the future.
