MS Dhoni's Fitness Update Ahead of CSK vs KKR Clash

Dhoni's Training Progress

MS Dhoni, the legendary player of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), had a brief practice session in the nets as his team prepares to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Chepauk Stadium. However, reports suggest that he is still unlikely to participate in the match, according to sources.

Due to a calf strain, Dhoni has missed all four IPL matches this season and is expected to sit out the fifth game against KKR as well. The 44-year-old is currently focused on regaining his full fitness.

Injury Timeline

On March 28, CSK announced that Dhoni would be sidelined for the first two weeks of the season due to his injury and would undergo rehabilitation. Although this two-week period has concluded, he has not yet shown readiness for match play.

During his recent training, Dhoni has only engaged in throwdowns, primarily from batting coach Michael Hussey, and has not practiced wicketkeeping.

Team Dynamics

Dhoni has not traveled with the team for their away games in Guwahati and Bengaluru, nor has he been present at home matches in Chepauk.

CSK's head coach, Stephen Fleming, emphasized Dhoni's ongoing influence within the team, stating, "It is just a game without him. He is still heavily involved in the side, and his influence remains very strong."

Dhoni's IPL Statistics

In his IPL career spanning 278 matches, Dhoni has accumulated 5,439 runs across 242 innings, boasting an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45, which includes 24 half-centuries and a top score of 84*.

Last season, despite CSK's struggles, he managed to score 196 runs in 13 innings, averaging 24.50 with a strike rate exceeding 135, and his highest score was 30*.

Squad Details

Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Navdeep Saini, Kartik Tyagi, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Tejasvi Dahiya, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Blessing Muzarabani, Saurabh Dubey, Sarthak Ranjan, Rachin Ravindra, Prashant Solanki, Varun Chakaravarthy, Matheesha Pathirana, Umran Malik, Daksh Kamra.

Chennai Super Kings Squad: Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Matthew Short, Akeal Hosein, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Matt Henry, Ramakrishna Ghosh, MS Dhoni, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Chahar, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary, Urvil Patel, Aman Khan, Zakary Foulkes.