Former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni is yet to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The wicketkeeper batter was forced to miss the initial stage of the tournament after getting a calf injury. However, there were reports that, Dhoni will be seen featuring in Chennai-based franchise's biggest rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) but the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side featured with just one change as Veer comes in for Short.

Now, as the CSK are currently preparing for their upcoming clash against Gujarat Titans (GT), Indian Express reported that Dhoni will not be seen featuring in that clash as well. The report further stated that the five-time IPL-winning captain has chosen not to make himself available for selection in IPL 2026 matches, as he doesn’t want to disturb a combination that now appears settled.

In his absence, Sanju Samson has been handling wicketkeeping duties.

Head coach Stephen Fleming said at a pre-match press conference that Dhoni is improving well and doing everything required for his recovery.

However, the report claims that even after regaining full fitness, Dhoni has been reluctant to take the place of a younger player and break the settled team combination in the last two games.

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Despite a slow start to the season, Chennai Super Kings have made a strong comeback. They go into their match against Gujarat Titans on Sunday after a big 103-run win over Mumbai Indians.

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CSK are currently fifth on the points table and still in the race for the playoffs. Winning five of their remaining seven matches could push them into the top four, helped by their strong net run rate.

The report also says that at this important stage of the season, Dhoni has advised the team management not to change the winning combination.

He was expected to play at Wankhede Stadium after a full practice session before the match against Mumbai Indians, but once again did not take the field, with Kartik Sharma replacing him in the middle order.


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