MS Dhoni, the experienced wicketkeeper-batter of Chennai Super Kings, was seen practicing in the nets as he works his way back after an early injury setback in IPL 2026. The veteran cricketer has been sidelined for the opening phase of the tournament due to a calf strain and missed CSK’s heavy defeat against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.
During that period, Dhoni did not travel with the squad for the away fixture, choosing instead to remain in Chennai to focus on his rehabilitation. While his availability for CSK’s upcoming first home match against Punjab Kings on Friday, April 3 remains doubtful, he did spend some time batting in the nets towards the end of a session.
He appeared in excellent rhythm, playing a powerful pull shot, an eye-catching no-look six, and a confident backfoot strike over the bowler’s head. Watch the video here:
⚡️ MS Dhoni spotted batting in the nets towards the end of CSK's practice session 🤩
P.S. You don't want to miss that no-look six 👀#CSKvsPBKS #IPL2026 #Cricbuzz #CricketKaAsliApp pic.twitter.com/ILSVuPea4X
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 2, 2026
In Chennai Super Kings, wicketkeeping responsibilities were given to Sanju Samson in the absence of MS Dhoni, while young keeper Kartik Sharma also made his debut during the defeat against Rajasthan Royals.
“Wait for the 13th day”- Ruturaj Gaikwad on MS Dhoni’s recovery
Ahead of the match against the Shreyas Iyer-led side, Ruturaj Gaikwad was questioned about MS Dhoni’s injury and possible return. The franchise had earlier stated that Dhoni would be sidelined for two weeks, and the CSK captain did not have any further update to share. According to a Sportstar report:
“Gaikwad also said that he would be able to answer “just when the 13th day is done” when asked about Dhoni’s progress after an original 14-day prognosis.”
Chennai Super Kings face a packed schedule, with another game coming up this weekend—an away fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday, April 5.
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