MS Dhoni [Source: AFP]Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have bounced back strongly this IPL 2026 season, after starting off with three straight defeats. After thrashing Mumbai Indians by 103 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai a couple of days ago, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side has now won three of its last four matches. Notably, MS Dhoni is yet to play a single match this season for the CSK. Prior to the tournament, the legendary wicketkeeper-batter was ruled out of action for the first couple of weeks. As of now, it has been a month since the launch of the competition, with Dhoni still missing in action. Even though certain reports indicate that Dhoni has attained full recovery, the former CSK skipper did not play his team’s recent away fixtures against the SRH and the Mumbai Indians over the last one week. Here, we reveal the real reason behind the cricketer’s absence from CSK’s starting XI. Why is MS Dhoni still not playing for CSK? An exclusive report from The Indian Express states that MS Dhoni is fully fit and is only delaying his return in a bid to not disturb the CSK playing XI. With CSK gaining some positive momentum around the halfway stage of the competition, it is learned that the former skipper has already informed that team management that he does not want to change the winning combination. Also Read- Duck Masters In IPL! Rishabh Pant Goes Past MS Dhoni After Dismal Show Vs Rajasthan RoyalsIt is worth noting that while the CSK franchise has not given any comeback update regarding Dhoni, the legendary stumper was recently spotted training alongside his teammates.Chennai Super Kings @ChennaiIPL Rule No. 1: Don’t step out when Thala’s behind the stumps Rule No. 2: Read Rule No. 1 again 😂💪 #WhistlePodu #Yellove Apr 21, 2026, 7:07 PM Moreover, the cricketer even travelled to Hyderabad and Mumbai over the last one week for his team’s away IPL 2026 fixtures against the SRH and Mumbai Indians respectively.Stephen Fleming says MS Dhoni still recovering Contrary to the Indian Express report, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming has maintained that MS Dhoni is still being closely watched by the team management. Without revealing much about the cricketer’s return to the playing XI, Fleming said “He’s progressing well. He’s on the road to recovery and doing everything that’s being asked of him.” The former New Zealand captain stated the same on Saturday, April 25, i.e., a day prior to CSK’s all-important IPL 2026 match against the Gujarat Titans at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. CSK stuck in mid-table traffic After starting off the IPL 2026 season with three straight defeats, the CSK franchise is currently ranked fifth on the 10-team points table. With three wins and four defeats from seven games, the five-time title-winning franchise has accumulated six points so far and is holding an NRR of 0.118. In the absence of MS Dhoni, it is new recruit Sanju Samson who is keeping wickets for the team. Samson even bludgeoned a match-winning 101* off just 54 balls against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 23 earlier this week. Also Read- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Scripts IPL History, Breaks Multiple Records With 36-Ball Hundred
