Chennai Super Kings Face Injury Setbacks in IPL 2026 Opener Against Rajasthan Royals
CSK's Challenging Start to IPL 2026
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) kicked off their IPL 2026 journey with a match against the Rajasthan Royals at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati. Unfortunately, CSK is grappling with significant injury issues as they enter this crucial game. The most notable absence is that of MS Dhoni, leading to speculation about whether this season might be his last. Fans are left disappointed as he will not be participating for the Men in Yellow, raising questions about his potential return.
MS Dhoni is currently sidelined due to a calf strain, and it was previously announced that he would miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026. However, a recent report suggests that his recovery might take longer than initially expected, with a possibility of returning by the end of April. This timeline indicates that he could make his tournament debut on May 3rd against the Mumbai Indians.
MS Dhoni's Absences in IPL History
Throughout his illustrious career with CSK, MS Dhoni has only missed six matches. A concerning trend emerges from the previous five games he missed, where CSK managed to secure victory only once, back in 2010 against the Delhi Daredevils. Below is the list of matches that MS Dhoni has missed for CSK:
- vs DD, Delhi 2010 (Won)
- vs KXIP, Chennai 2010 (Lost)
- vs RCB, Bengaluru 2010 (Lost)
- vs SRH, Hyderabad 2019 (Lost)
- vs MI, Chennai 2019 (Lost)
- vs RR, Guwahati, 2026
CSK's match against RR started poorly, losing four wickets during the power play, and they struggled to recover from this disastrous beginning, continuing to lose wickets throughout the innings.