Big blow to CSK even before IPL starts: Dhoni may remain out for 2 weeks due to muscle strain

New Delhi, 28 February. Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is going to start from Saturday, but before that there is bad news for the fans of Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni will find it difficult to play for the first two weeks due to a calf muscle strain. Giving this information, the franchise has said that Mahi is currently undergoing rehabilitation, due to which there is a possibility of him not playing for the first 2 weeks of IPL 2026. Along with this, CSK has wished Dhoni to get fit soon.

Giving this information on their official ‘X’ account, Chennai Super Kings wrote, “Mahendra Singh Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf muscle strain. Due to this, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026. Get well soon, Thala.” If experienced player Dhoni does not play for the first two weeks of this season, it can prove to be a big blow for the team. CSK has won 5 IPL titles so far. All these trophies have been won under the captaincy of Dhoni.

In the absence of Dhoni, Samson will mostly play the responsibility of wicket-keeping for the team in the first few matches. Samson, who was previously the captain of Rajasthan Royals, was included in CSK. This happened when the CSK team, captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad, had exchanged all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran with other teams. After retirement from international cricket, Mahi is seen playing only in IPL. He has played a total of 278 matches in his IPL career, scoring 5,439 runs at an average of 38.30. During this period, 24 half-centuries came from Mahi’s bat. m

Hendra Singh Dhoni has played maximum 248 matches for Chennai Super Kings. During this period he scored 4,865 runs. The first match of IPL 2026 will be played between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will start their campaign with a match against Rajasthan Royals (RR). This match is to be played on March 30 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati. After this, CSK team will take the field against Punjab Kings on 3rd April and against RCB on 5th April. On April 11, he will face Delhi Capitals. On April 14, this team will face Kolkata Knight Riders.