MS Dhoni will miss Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) IPL 2026 opener against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati on Monday, marking a rare absence for the wicketkeeper-batsman who has been a constant presence in the team for years.Dhoni has long been the focal point of CSK as captain, finisher and wicketkeeper, but this match at the Baraspara Cricket Stadium will be played without him. His absence centers around the last time he missed a match and how often he has been unavailable since the start of the IPL in 2008.
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CSK is organizing a fan engagement event in Chepauk ahead of IPL 2026 The last time Dhoni did not feature in a CSK match in the IPL was during the 2019 season. He missed the April 26 match against Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, led by Suresh Raina, due to fever. He also sat out a match earlier that season against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 17 April due to back spasms.During his IPL career, Dhoni missed only five matches. Monday’s match will be only the sixth time Dhoni has missed an IPL match for CSK. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have played a total of 253 matches in the Indian Premier League (between 2008-2025). Three of them came in the 2010 season – against Delhi Daredevils in Delhi, Kings XI Punjab in Chennai and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Bengaluru.Dhoni’s five previous misses were extremely rare and spanned nearly a decade:2010 season (three games):
- vs Delhi Daredevils (Delhi)
- vs Kings XI Punjab (Chennai)
- vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Bengaluru)
2019 season (two games):
- vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Hyderabad, April 17) – back spasm.
- vs Mumbai Indians (Chennai, April 26) – Fever.
From 2020, Dhoni played every match he was available for, including leading CSK to titles in 2021 and 2023. He also appeared in all 14 matches during the 2025 season. The only gap in his participation in the IPL came during the 2016 and 2017 seasons when he was suspended by CSK and played for Rising Pune Supergiant.
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The 44-year-old is currently struggling with a calf injury and is expected to be out until at least mid-April, although a return later in the month is still a possibility.With 278 appearances, Dhoni is the most capped player in IPL history and has led his team in 235 matches, the most by any captain. His absence leaves the younger ČSK side without one of its most experienced players.
