IPL 2026: No MS Dhoni again; CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad says 'thanks to the legend' at the toss vs Mumbai Indians
MS Dhoni's highly anticipated return to IPL 2026 action was not to be, as he remained sidelined due to a calf strain. While Dhoni was seen engaging with a robotic dog during practice, fans continue to await his comeback. Mumbai Indians won the toss and chose to field against Chennai Super Kings.
NEW DELHI:The anticipation around MS Dhoni’s return was high, but it wasn’t to be as the veteran remained out of action. Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to field against Chennai Super Kings in their IPL 2026 clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Dhoni is yet to feature in IPL 2026.
He has been recovering from a calf strain sustained just before the tournament began late last month, and expectations from fans had built up significantly ahead of the marquee encounter. A day before the match, Dhoni lit up the stadium, entertaining camerapersons, groundstaff and crew members with his lighter side. He was seen playing with the robot dog “Champak” during a practice session at Wankhede Stadium.
The five-time IPL-winning captain had a rigorous training session on Tuesday, where he kept wickets and later spent time batting in the nets. On Wednesday, he had a short initial stint before taking a break, returning later for nearly an hour to face throwdown specialists and fast bowlers. — IPL (@IPL) However, for fans, the wait to see their superstar continues.
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, after winning the toss, said: "We are gonna bowl first. Lot of boxes were ticked, intensity was there, we needed that game where everyone comes in and chips in. There was a conscious effort that intensity is in your hands, we wanted to just have fun and things went our way.