Former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not play in the Chennai Super Kings’ final home IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chepauk on Monday, which was a devastating blow to the team’s fans.
While recuperating from the calf strain that kept him out of the team’s first 12 games, Dhoni, who hasn’t played a single game this season, reportedly sustained a new thumb injury.
At the toss, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad responded to a question about whether Dhoni was playing by saying, “The good thing is he is here, but he is still not fit enough to play. But you never know if we win this and he comes for the last one.”
Since playing against the Gujarat Titans in the 2025 Indian Premier League, the 44-year-old has not participated in a competitive game.
The latest injury reportedly happened prior to CSK’s game against the Lucknow Super Giants, and against earlier plans, he did not travel with the team.
It was initially anticipated that the seasoned batsman-wicketkeeper would only be out for the first two weeks of the season. However, his return was further postponed due to a sluggish recuperation, conditioning problems, and worries about upsetting a stable team combination.
With rumors circulating that this would be Dhoni’s last IPL season, the SRH game was considered by many as the perfect opportunity for him to make a comeback. But as fate would have it, he didn’t play in a single home game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium this season.
Despite spending time batting in the nets during Sunday’s practice, Dhoni was reportedly not yet entirely fit to play or even serve as an Impact Player.
But Dhoni was at the stadium and participated in the team’s lap of honor for fans following the game, despite not being in the playing XI.
