MS Dhoni’s journey with Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026 might already be over. Although the five-time champions still have one league game remaining, reports suggest Dhoni may not even travel with the squad for the fixture.
According to multiple reports, Dhoni has suffered a thumb injury and has returned home instead of travelling to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for CSK’s final league game of the season.
MS Dhoni and injuries
The former CSK captain has struggled with injuries throughout the campaign. He was initially ruled out of the opening games due to a calf injury and remained unavailable during the early stages of the season.
However, despite later being spotted training with the squad, he never returned to the playing XI. Several internet reports claimed that Dhoni had regained fitness but chose not to disrupt the team combination once CSK began finding momentum. The franchise management, however, never officially confirmed those claims.
As a result, it remains unclear whether Dhoni was fully fit at any stage of the tournament. Now, ahead of the final league clash, reports suggest he has suffered another setback in the form of a thumb injury. Due to the same, Dhoni reportedly chose not to travel with the team to Ahmedabad and was instead seen returning home to Ranchi.
Injuries derail CSK’s momentum
CSK’s campaign this season has been heavily affected by injuries, almost from the very beginning. The franchise lost key overseas pacer Nathan Ellis before the season properly began, while players like Khaleel Ahmed, Ayush Mhatre, Jamie Overton, and Ramakrishna Ghosh were all ruled out during crucial phases of the tournament.
What hurt CSK the most was the timing of those injuries. Just when the side had finally settled on the right combinations and started building momentum with consecutive wins, they kept losing important players from both the batting and bowling departments. The absence of Overton disrupted the balance of the XI, while Ayush Mhatre’s injury removed one of their most consistent young batters.
As a result, the team repeatedly had to reshuffle combinations, forcing inexperienced players into pressure situations. That instability eventually led to another series of defeats, damaging CSK’s playoff hopes during the business end of the tournament.
Will MS Dhoni play for CSK again?
The possibility of Dhoni returning this season now depends entirely on whether CSK can somehow qualify for the playoffs.
Chennai Super Kings currently sit seventh on the points table with 12 points from 13 matches. Even if they win their final game, qualification is far from guaranteed.
For CSK to make the playoffs, several other results must also go in their favour, including defeats for teams like Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, and Punjab Kings.
Given how unlikely that scenario appears, there is a strong possibility that fans may already have seen the last of MS Dhoni this season.
