There is excitement within. Chennai Super Kings The camp as legendary former captain MS Dhoni is likely to travel to Lucknow with the squad ahead of their crucial IPL 2026 clash against Lucknow Supergiants on May 15.Chennai Super Kings are fifth in the IPL 2026 points table with six wins and five losses from 11 matches. After enduring a disastrous start to the campaign with three consecutive defeats, the five-time champions have made an impressive recovery by winning six of their last eight games.Much of CSK’s revival has been led by Sanju Samson, who has emerged as the team’s standout batsman this season with 304 runs, including two centuries. Under the leadership of Rituraj Gaikwad and head coach Stephen Fleming, CSK have once again placed themselves firmly in the playoff conversation. Young pacer Anshul Kamboj has also impressed with the ball, topping the side’s wicket charts with 14 scalps this season.Dhoni, who has been sidelined for the entire season with a calf injury, has traveled very little with the squad this year. The CSK icon has only been with the team for two away fixtures against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians, and has also been absent from several home matches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.However, according to Cricbuzz, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed that the franchise has booked Dhoni on a commercial Indigo flight to Lucknow along with the rest of the 60-member travel squad. Although the management is hopeful, there is still uncertainty as Dhoni may make a last-minute decision about the trip.
The former India captain is yet to feature in a single IPL 2026 match, but hopes are growing for a possible return. With CSK still in contention for a play-off berth, there is growing belief that Dhoni could make at least one appearance in the franchise’s remaining three league stage fixtures, against Lucknow Supergiants on 15 May, Sunrisers Hyderabad on 18 May, and Gujarat Titans on 21 May.With the race for the playoffs tight, CSK will need at least two wins from their last three league games to safely reach the 16-point mark, traditionally considered sufficient for qualification.The rest of their fixtures are:May 15: vs Lucknow Supergiants (Away)May 18: vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Home)May 21: vs Gujarat Titans (Home)
