MS Dhoni IPL Future: CSK Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad Drops Massive Update
Abhinav Tyagi | May 20, 2026 12:56 AM CST
Chennai Super Kings hosted the Sunrisers Hyderabad for their last IPL 2026 match at the Chepauk Stadium. The entire world waited for one man, MS Dhoni, who was expected to return to action in this particular match. Notably, MS Dhoni has not played a single match in IPL 2026 because of injury, and the fans were expecting the 44-year-old to play against SRH, because the former India captain had previously mentioned that he would want his last match in professional cricket to be in Chennai.
MS Dhoni Misses Out Against SRH
In a heartbreaking development, Ruturaj Gaikwad, at the toss, confirmed that MS Dhoni is yet to recover from his injury and won't play the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The wait game continues to see Thala, but the positive news is that MS Dhoni has travelled with the team to the Chepauk Stadium for the first time this season.
The fans fear a silent retirement for MS Dhoni as he is struggling to regain fitness, and it seemed that the SRH match at Chepauk was the last chance to see a glimpse of a cricketing field. However, Ruturaj Gaikwad provided a crucial update at the toss.
Ruturaj Gaikwad revealed that MS Dhoni is struggling to regain full fitness but might return for CSK's last group-stage match against the Gujarat Titans, which is on May 21 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. "The good news is he's still here. But he's not fit enough to play this game. Hopefully, we'll win this one, and you never know, maybe in the last game," remarked Ruturaj Gaikwad at the toss.
The reason why fans are emotional not to see MS Dhoni playing against SRH is due to his past remarks, where he vowed to play his last game at CSK's home Chepauk Stadium. Now, since that is not possible, the only expectation is to see MS Dhoni back in action in IPL 2027. Now, given the extent of injuries MS Dhoni sustained in IPL 2026, it is highly unlikely that the 44-year-old will return for another season. Hence, the fans are worried because now the GT match is their last hope to see MS Dhoni play.
Also, there are no qualifiers or playoff matches scheduled in Chennai, which is why MS Dhoni is unlikely to feature again. Also, talking about the qualification scenario of CSK, then the Men in Yellow are placed 5th on the table with 12 points in 12 matches. For them to qualify, they need to win their remaining two matches.
MS Dhoni Misses Out Against SRH
In a heartbreaking development, Ruturaj Gaikwad, at the toss, confirmed that MS Dhoni is yet to recover from his injury and won't play the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The wait game continues to see Thala, but the positive news is that MS Dhoni has travelled with the team to the Chepauk Stadium for the first time this season.
The fans fear a silent retirement for MS Dhoni as he is struggling to regain fitness, and it seemed that the SRH match at Chepauk was the last chance to see a glimpse of a cricketing field. However, Ruturaj Gaikwad provided a crucial update at the toss.
Ruturaj Gaikwad revealed that MS Dhoni is struggling to regain full fitness but might return for CSK's last group-stage match against the Gujarat Titans, which is on May 21 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. "The good news is he's still here. But he's not fit enough to play this game. Hopefully, we'll win this one, and you never know, maybe in the last game," remarked Ruturaj Gaikwad at the toss.
The reason why fans are emotional not to see MS Dhoni playing against SRH is due to his past remarks, where he vowed to play his last game at CSK's home Chepauk Stadium. Now, since that is not possible, the only expectation is to see MS Dhoni back in action in IPL 2027. Now, given the extent of injuries MS Dhoni sustained in IPL 2026, it is highly unlikely that the 44-year-old will return for another season. Hence, the fans are worried because now the GT match is their last hope to see MS Dhoni play.
Also, there are no qualifiers or playoff matches scheduled in Chennai, which is why MS Dhoni is unlikely to feature again. Also, talking about the qualification scenario of CSK, then the Men in Yellow are placed 5th on the table with 12 points in 12 matches. For them to qualify, they need to win their remaining two matches.
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