New Delhi: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru are riding high on confidence after opening their IPL 2026 campaign with a win against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Now, an interesting southern derby between RCB and Chennai Super Kings A marquee clash is undoubtedly on the cards.While RCB entered the competition on the back of a win, CSK arrived with two back-to-back defeats against Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings.Are CSK missing Mahendra Singh Dhoni? Is his absence hurting the team after losing the first two matches of the tournament?Dhoni’s wait will continue. He will also not be included in the playing XI against RCB.
why MS Dhoni Will not play vs RCB?
Dhoni has been ruled out for the first two weeks with a calf strain.“MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he may possibly miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026. Get well soon, Thala,” CSK shared on social media ahead of their opening match against Rajasthan Royals.Head coach Stephen Fleming had earlier clarified that Dhoni is not on the field, but his presence is still strongly felt. Fleming spoke of Dhoni’s “huge” influence and involvement in the team.“It’s just a game without him,” Fleming told reporters ahead of the Punjab Kings clash.Teams:Chennai Super Kings Squad: Sanju Samson (w), Rituraj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mahatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shiv Dubey, Karthik Sharma, Prashant Vir, Noor Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, Khalil Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Rahul Chahar, Matthew Short, Ramkrishna Ghoshne, Gurjan Singh, AMS, Dhime Singh, MS Shreyas Gopal, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Chaudhary, Arul Patel, Aman Khan, David Brews, Zachary FoulkesRoyal Challengers Bangalore Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikal, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma (W), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Kuronal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Bethel, Rashekh Bethel, Rasheed Bethel Iyer, Josh Hazlewood, Mangesh Yadav, Vihan Malhotra, Vicky Ostwal, Jordan Cox, Swapanal Singh, Satok Deswal
