Why is MS Dhoni missing from CSK vs Sunrisers Hyderabad today?

Chennai Super Kings continued to miss the presence of MS Dhoni in their IPL 2026 campaign, with the veteran wicketkeeper-batter unavailable for Monday’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chepauk after suffering a new injury concern

Reports suggested that Dhoni had recovered from the calf injury that ruled him out during the first half of the IPL 2026 campaign. However, the former CSK captain is now understood to have sustained a fresh thumb injury and reportedly felt he was not “100 per cent fit” even to feature as an Impact Player.

Gaikwad confirms Dhoni unavailable for SRH clash

Speaking at the toss, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad confirmed that Dhoni would not be available for the match.

“The good news is he’s still here, but he’s not fit enough to play this game. Hopefully, we win today, and then you never know,” Gaikwad said.

Gaikwad won the toss and opted to bat first against SRH at Chepauk.

CSK playing XI against Sunrisers Hyderabad

CSK fielded the following playing XI for the match:

Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj and Spencer Johnson.

The franchise also named Mukesh Choudhary, Matthew Short, Sarfaraz Khan, Aman Khan and Gurjapneet Singh as impact substitutes.

MS Dhoni injury timeline during IPL 2026

April 6: Dhoni ruled out with calf strain

Reports initially emerged on April 6 that Dhoni had picked up a calf strain during pre-season training camps. CSK management later confirmed that the veteran wicketkeeper-batter would miss the opening two weeks of the IPL 2026 season while undergoing rehabilitation.

April 13: Returns to batting practice at Chepauk

Dhoni returned to training at Chepauk on April 13 ahead of CSK’s home fixture against Punjab Kings. During the session, he reportedly focused on timing and light batting drills instead of high-intensity practice.

April 19: Michael Hussey gives fitness update

CSK batting coach Michael Hussey said Dhoni had been batting well and was gradually regaining fitness. However, he remained away from matchdays as he did not want to become a distraction before being fully capable of running comfortably between the wickets.

April 26: Stephen Fleming confirms setback

Head coach Stephen Fleming later revealed that Dhoni had suffered a setback after aggravating the calf injury during a practice game, delaying his comeback further.

May 1: Dhoni reportedly stays away from matches

On May 1, Hussey stated that Dhoni was concerned his presence around the team during matches could become “too much of a distraction” while he was still unavailable for selection.

May 13: Lucknow travel reports spark speculation

Speculation over Dhoni’s return intensified after reports claimed CSK had booked a flight ticket for him ahead of the away fixture against Lucknow Super Giants. However, he eventually decided against travelling and remained in Chennai.

May 16: Ashwin hints at comeback

Excitement among supporters grew after Ravichandran Ashwin said on May 16 that there was a “good chance” of Dhoni returning for an upcoming match. Ashwin also indicated that the former India captain had already recovered from the calf injury.

May 18: Fresh thumb injury delays return again

Just as Dhoni appeared set to feature as an Impact Player against Sunrisers Hyderabad, reports emerged that he had suffered a thumb injury during a net session.

The exact circumstances surrounding the injury remain unclear, but the setback ultimately ruled him out of Monday’s IPL 2026 fixture.