Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming on Sunday dropped a bombshell by adding a new twist to MS Dhoni’s delayed return in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) by revealing a ‘second injury’ on Sunday. The former CSK captain missed his eighth consecutive match in IPL 2026 during their humiliating eight-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans at home.
Dhoni was initially ruled out for two weeks starting March 28 due to a calf strain. It has been almost a month and it is not clear when Dhoni will play his first match in IPL 2026. It is also the first time that Dhoni has missed as many as eight matches in an IPL season.
After CSK’s fifth loss in IPL 2026, Fleming was immediately attacked by a question from Dhoni in the post-match presser. The New Zealander candidly admitted that the five-time IPL-winning captain tweaked his calf for the second time during the warm-up game.
“He’s pretty fired up,” said Fleming, who played for CSK in 2008. “The calf is tough though. If he takes it off and tears it again, then he’s gone. We pushed it early and he improved it again in the warm-up game, I understand that,” added the 53-year-old Kiwi.
“Since then he’s just been working hard to get some movement in it, but there’s been a setback so it’s taken longer than we thought.” After not traveling with the team during CSK’s first two away matches, Dhoni traveled with the team for the first time for the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of their encounter on 18 April.
Since then, Dhoni has been hitting the ball well in the nets and recently even kept wickets before the match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. There were speculations that Dhoni might make a comeback soon. But to everyone’s disappointment, he didn’t even show up at the venue on the day of the Mumbai and Chepauk match against Gujarat Titans on Sunday.
According to Fleming, it is Dhoni who will take the final call on his return. “He’s the guide in this and he’s working hard with the physio and doing all the rehab and we’re just waiting to hear from him. All I can say is, stop making light of it because he’s making progress and doing everything he can,” Fleming added.
What happened in CSK vs GT?
Unlike the win over Mumbai Indians, CSK looked a pale shadow against Gujarat Titans in Chepauk on Sunday as they stumbled to their fifth loss in eight matches. Batting first, CSK rode on captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 74 and made 158/7 not out after a slow start. Jamie Overton then made a cameo with 18 balls as CSK crossed the 150-run mark.
For Gujarat Titans, pacer Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/25 while Arshad Khan took two wickets. In reply, Sai Sudharsan hit 87, studded with four boundaries and seven sixes in 46 balls to power Gujarat Titans to an eight-wicket win.
He first stitched a 58-run stand with skipper Shubman Gill (33) for the opening wicket and then shared another 97-run stand with Jos Buttler (39 not out) for the second wicket as CSK chased down a target of 159 with 20 balls to spare. Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein got a wicket each for CSK.
Follow IPL 2026 live updates with complete IPL 2026 schedule and IPL 2026 points table. Also know who is currently leading the IPL 2026 Orange Cap and IPL 2026 Purple Cap charts.
