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2 min readChennaiApr 26, 2026 08:58 PM IST
Chennai Super Kings' MS Dhoni during a practice session ahead of an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (PTI Photo)
As Chennai Super Kings continue to miss the presence of MS Dhoni in the middle, head coach Stephen Fleming has said they are waiting to hear from him and has said the former captain has had a setback with his calf-injury.
Ahead of the season opener, CSK had revealed that Dhoni has been ruled out of action for the first two weeks. Since then, Dhoni underwent a fitness test, cleared it and joined the team to the away trips to Hyderabad and Mumbai. However, despite travelling with the team and practicing regularly, Dhoni has stayed away from the dugout on match days.
Even on the eve of their match against Gujarat Titans, Dhoni had a long training session at Chepauk. Starting the day with a running session, Dhoni then had an extensive net session facing the net bowlers and striking the ball cleanly. However, again on the matchday on Sunday, he didn’t turn up at the venue instead choosing to be in the team hotel which has been the norm through this season.
Asked about an update on Dhoni’s condition, Fleming said Dhoni is progressing well. “The calf is a tough one. If he takes off and rips the calf again, then he will be gone. So we pushed it early. In a warm-up game, he tweaked it again, it’s my understanding. And since then, he has been just working hard to get some movement into it. But there was a setback. So it has taken longer than we thought. But look, he’s the guy on this one. And he’s working hard with the physio and doing all the rehab. We’re just waiting for the word, really. But all I can keep saying is stop making light of this. He is progressing and doing everything,” Fleming said.
Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings: 158 for 7 in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 74 not out; Kagiso Rabada 3/25). Gujarat Titans: 162 for 2 in 16.4 overs (Sai Sudharsan 87, Shubman Gill 33, Jos Buttler 39 not out; Noor Ahmad 1/29)
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