There is no clear timeline yet. MS DhoniAs a return of Chennai Super Kings Continue to navigate IPL 2026 without your former captain. Dhoni The calf injury was suffered just before the start of the season, and while the franchise initially indicated a two-week recovery period, his absence has now extended to a fourth week with no confirmed return date.There was a brief glimmer of hope when Dhoni was spotted training at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. The veteran wicket-keeper batsman spent a lot of time batting in the nets and also went through wicket-keeping drills, suggesting that he could be in contention for CSK’s upcoming clash against Mumbai Indians. However, these hopes were soon dashed.Speaking to the media ahead of the match, CSK bowling coach Eric Simmons clarified that there will be no hasty decision on Dhoni’s return.“MS will only play when he feels he’s ready to go and the medical team clears him, so I’m not going to sit here and make an announcement,” Simmons said.The uncertainty surrounding Dhoni’s availability comes at a time when Chennai Super Kings are already dealing with a string of injury setbacks. Fast bowler Khalil Ahmed has been ruled out of the tournament with a right quadriceps injury, while top-order batsman Ayush Mahatre has also been ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring problem.The franchise has yet to officially name the replacements, although there has been progress behind the scenes. Reports suggest that former Mumbai Indians fast bowler Akash Madhwal attended CSK’s trials in Hyderabad, while Rajvardhan Hungarikar also took part in a trial session with the team in Mumbai.These setbacks have affected CSK’s campaign. The five-time champions are currently eighth in the points table with two wins from four matches. After losing their opening three fixtures, they managed to revive their season with back-to-back home victories, only to slip up again in their most recent game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.Their next opponents, Mumbai Indians, will go into the contest with renewed confidence. They sit just above CSK in seventh place and are coming off a dominant 99-run win over Gujarat Titans, giving them momentum ahead of the clash.
