IPL (Indian Premier League) 2026 has already started, and one of the most popular IPL teams, CSK (Chennai Super Kings), is gearing up for its first match. Amidst that, big news surfaced that the team’s favorite, Thala MS Dhoni, will not be playing this time. According to reports, Dhoni will not play the initial matches of IPL 2026 due to a calf strain sustained during pre-season training.
However, since the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is preparing for its opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, the team will play against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Recently, Sanju Samson was brought into the team trading with RR before the IPL auction.
Sanju Samson’s recruitment plays a big role in the future of the team, and ahead of the first match, Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Vishwanathan shared an update on Dhoni’s unavailability for the opener, confirming Samson will keep wickets.
As per the reports, the CEO said, “See, obviously, Sanju will be keeping because his MS Dhoni is not going to play. Sanju’s form is great, and he’s been knocking well in the nets also. So we’re hoping that he’ll give the impact that CSK is looking for during the current season. Of course, we have Ruturaj, who is also capable of taking the team to higher levels, and his captaincy is one which definitely will lift the team.”
