Ahmedabad: Legendary captain MS Dhoni has left the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp ahead of their crucial final IPL 2026 league match against the Gujarat Titans. Dhoni has not participated in any matches this season due to a thumb injury, which he sustained recently. This update was confirmed by batting coach Michael Hussey before the must-win fixture in Ahmedabad.
Hussey indicated that Dhoni could rejoin the squad if CSK secures a spot in the playoffs. The team’s position is currently uncertain following a defeat to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their penultimate match. A win against Gujarat would take Chennai to 14 points, but their playoff chances will also depend on the results of other matches.
“I can confirm he is not here with the team, but if we qualify, then he will definitely join back up with the team. He has got a bit of a sore thumb, so it is recovering nicely, but he wouldn’t be ready for this match. Hopefully, if we manage to get through to the playoffs, then he will be alright,” Hussey stated during the pre-match press conference.
Reflecting on the loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Hussey expressed disappointment within the team, particularly after failing to conclude their home games successfully. In that match, the Sunrisers chased down a target of 181 runs, thanks in large part to Ishan Kishan’s pivotal half-century.
“Obviously, it has made it more difficult for us to get through to the top four. Individually, everyone will take a few learnings from it, but we have to move on quite quickly. We were all very disappointed, obviously, after the match. We were a bit flat in the dressing room. But the coach spoke to us about, okay, come on, we have got one more game, one more chance, so we have got to make sure we move on from this very quickly. It is all about our attitude moving forward,” Hussey added.
Despite the setback, Hussey emphasized that the team’s immediate focus is on executing a strong all-around performance in Ahmedabad while maintaining confidence.
“As long as we move forward with a really positive, confident attitude, we stick together, we keep smiling, and we have got to make sure we try and put on our best possible performance here in Ahmedabad. That has been the focus, trying to move on as quickly as possible and turn up here with the best attitude we can,” he concluded.
