Update on Dhoni (Photo: PTI)
IPL 2026 has completed half its journey. But, the picture is not clear yet regarding whether Dhoni will play or not. The news came that he is recovering from his calf injury and will return to the field soon. CSK fans were eagerly waiting for this. But, the update from CSK head coach Stephen Fleming after the match against Gujarat Titans has deepened the suspense on Dhoni’s comeback. According to Fleming, Dhoni’s calf injury, from which he was recovering, has worsened.
Excessive force in practice, deep calf injury
Stephen Fleming said that recovering from shin injury is not easy. That’s why we exercised caution in the beginning. He said that according to him his injury got aggravated during a warm-up match. According to Fleming, Dhoni is constantly trying to play as quickly as possible. Dhoni had over-exposed himself in the pre-season practice match, which again caused problems in his already injured calf.
The wait to see Dhoni play increased
Dhoni has been with CSK since the first week of March. During this time, some videos of him batting or keeping in the nets during his practice also surfaced on social media. Those pictures of Dhoni fueled the hopes of his playing. But now after the update given by Fleming, it seems that fans will have to wait longer.
Will not take the field until fully fit
If Dhoni is not completely fit while CSK remains in the race to win IPL 2026, then it is possible that he may not play at all this season. 44 year old Dhoni has played IPL with injury before also, but this time his not being seen in even one of the 8 matches played by CSK shows how deep the injury is. His recovery is taking longer than the team expected.
Dhoni will have the final decision on comeback
Stephen Fleming also made it clear that the final decision on when Dhoni will return will be his. He said that Dhoni is continuously rehabbing with physio. The team is currently waiting for his fitness update. We cannot take Dhoni’s injury lightly. Dhoni is moving in the right direction and is doing whatever is necessary.
