CSK say MS Dhoni will return on one condition

Dubai: Cricket fans have been eagerly waiting to see the legendary MS Dhoni return to action in IPL 2026, and now Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have finally shared a major update on whether the veteran star will feature this season.

Dhoni was retained by CSK as an uncapped player ahead of IPL 2026. However, the former India skipper is yet to feature in a match this season due to fitness issues with the 44-year-old initially struggling with a calf injury, which has kept him sidelined so far.

After that, CSK batting coach Michael Hussey revealed that Dhoni had also suffered a thumb injury, which forced him to miss the important clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 18.

Ahead of CSK’s final league match against Gujarat Titans, batting coach Michael Hussey confirmed that MS Dhoni had already returned to his hometown Ranchi and was currently not with the squad.

He also added that the former India captain could still link up with the team again if CSK manage to qualify for the play-offs.

During the post-match press conference, Hussey said: "I can confirm he is not here with the team, but if we do happen to qualify, then he will definitely join back up with the team.

“He has got a bit of a sore thumb, so it is recovering nicely, but he would not be ready for this match. But hopefully, if we can manage to get through to the playoffs, then hopefully he will be alright."

Even though Dhoni has not played in the ongoing IPL 2026 season, speculation around his future and possible return continues to dominate discussions across the league.

For most of the season, Dhoni has stayed away from traveling with Chennai Super Kings for away fixtures. That pattern briefly changed a few weeks ago when he accompanied the squad to Lucknow.

Meanwhile, some reports claim he has been missing games to give younger players more game time this season, but CSK’s management has repeatedly clarified that his absence is primarily due to injury concerns.