In the current IPL 2026 season, MS Dhoni hasn't been a part of any match, out of the seven played by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) so far. Although it was predicted that MS would make his appearance in the match against Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 23, he did not feature and CSK thrashed MI by 103 runs!

Dhoni has been sidelined with a calf strain, and it was anticipated that he'd miss at least the first six matches or so due to the same, however, according to New Zealand pace bowler and expert Simon Doull, things could be more complex.

Doull commented on Cricbuzz that the skipper might be willingly stepping away from playing, enabling the team to adapt to new leadership, and referred to Dhoni as an 'absolute legend'. Doull further asserted that this move has helped CSK in becoming more ruthless on the field.

He asserted:

“What MS is doing so well is he's staying away. He's staying away from the ground… trying in his best possible way, from an absolute legend of the game, to make sure that when they get to the ground the team is ruthless."

Also Read | CSK Confirm MS Dhoni Won’t Play as Impact Player in IPL 2026

Ruturaj Gaikwad is leading CSK in IPL 2026, currently they are on 5th position with three wins in seven matches and still are in contention for a top 4 finish and the playoffs.

CSK are the most successful team in IPL as they have 5 titles, their title triumphs came in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023 under the captaincy of MS Dhoni and have ended as runners-up five times, in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2019. The team have played 10 finals in 16 IPL editions.

MS Dhoni led CSK will look forward to win the 6th IPL trophy for the team and become the most successful team along with Mumbai Indians in the history of the IPL.

The team will next face Gujarat Titans (GT) and it is not confirmed if Dhoni will be back to play for that game, however there is a probability that Dhoni might soon make a comeback. All 10 teams are still in contention for top 4 places and the playoff spots would be clear by 24th May while the IPL 2026 final would be on 31st May.