CSK vs MI: Hussey reveals why Dhoni is missing from CSK match day dugout

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Michael Hussey has revealed that MS Dhoni is intentionally not travelling with the team to stadiums on match days, as he does not want to be seen as a distraction to the other players.

Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for the knee injury he suffered before the start of the season. While he has been seen during practice sessions, the former CSK skipper has not been present on the field on match days.

Personally, Hussey would love to have the experienced Dhoni in the dressing room during games, but he understands that it is out of his control. tbzikra.org

“Obviously, he’s been watching very closely from back home,” Hussey told reporters on the eve of the match. “I personally love having him around the dressing room. He offers so much wisdom and confidence to the rest of the guys. He’s at training all the time, always a bubbly personality, and offers a lot of his experience to the players there. But it was simply a case of him not wanting to see himself as a distraction to the rest of the team, which is why he decided to stay away on game days.”

Over the past couple of weeks, there has been a recurring question about Dhoni’s comeback.

When asked when the veteran wicketkeeper-batter would return, Hussey said: “I don’t know if it’s tomorrow or perhaps the next match after that, but he’s progressing really well. I know he’s been increasing his running speeds, and that was probably the sticking point. I think we’re very confident in his skills, both batting and wicketkeeping. It was just about ensuring that he could maintain good running power, particularly towards the back end of an innings, where he’ll need to scamper those ones and twos. So, as soon as he has confidence in his calf, I’m sure he’ll give the nod that he’s ready to go. We’re guided by him at the moment. But we’re waiting. I think all of Chennai is waiting — all the fans are waiting and hoping.”

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CSK take on the Mumbai Indians on May 2 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

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The official broadcaster announced the revenge week of the Indian Premier League 2026 and what a week it has been! Just when we thought that things were settling at a new normal, the proverbial “sting in the tail” strikes back and surprises everyone. It is not the teams taking revenge; the league itself is out to take revenge on those trying to outguess how it will turn out!

In a sea of 200 plus scores, the veritable super over, the magical Quidditch in a game of lesser mortals, took over with Kolkata Knight Riders registering a win in a close contest with Lucknow Super Giants. The super over itself was a bit of a damp squib but the images of the wily old fox Sunil Narine bowling out a hapless looking Nicholas Pooran and restricting LSG to just two runs will remain etched in our minds. For KKR, the day belonged to Rinku Singh, who hit the winning four and that after a magnificent 83 off 51 balls to rescue a beleaguered KKR outing.

Just when we thought we had seen it all, Delhi Capitals stopped and stuttered their way to a season low of 75 in their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at their home ground. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazelwood put up a masterclass in accurate pace bowling and RCB got over the line comfortably.

At New Chandigarh, things went back to our new normal with Punjab Kings scoring 222 for four and we were all breathing easy. And that is when South African Donovan Ferreira decided it was time to wake up and hit that brilliant 52 off 26 balls to take Rajasthan Royals to victory and Punjab to their first loss in the league.

We moved to Mumbai and the Mumbai Indians rattled up 243 for 5, their highest, and said “Apna time aayega” in the pavilion. That 123 off 55 balls by Ryan Rickleton will go down as one of the best in this edition of the IPL. And that is when Sunrisers Hyderabad decimated them with an explosive batting display. Openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head did what they have been doing, but the middle order came good with Heinrich Klassen showing us what brutal batting is all about. Nitish Reddy also made his mark.

The table seemed to be settling down with PBKS and RCB at the top, followed by SRH and Rajasthan Royals and the skirmish seemed reserved for the middle spaces. In the last couple of days, that is also getting challenged with Gujarat Titans vanquishing RCB and Delhi Capitals getting the better of RR.

And finally last evening as I clasped on to my bowl of minced meat soup and sat back to watch the boy wonder take on Mitch Starc; the fifty in 17 balls didn’t happen. Can you beat that?? DC is now within sniffing distance of the final playoffs. More importantly, teams and their strengths that we thought were simply unassailable now look a tad exposed.

Kyle Jamieson looked pumped and animated as he got Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s wicket but it was less a reflection on the bowlers as much as the impact the 15-year old has made on the international bowling fraternity. In an odd ball manner though, I heaved a sigh of relief when he got out for a sub-par score last evening. It makes things real in some manner and perhaps will make Sooryavanshi mentally tougher. For now, picture abhi baaki hai mere dost…. Take it away IPL 2026!

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Chennai Super Kings batting coach Michael Hussey said former skipper MS Dhoni’s recovery from a calf injury has been progressing well and he will be seen back in action soon, adding that the whole of Chennai is waiting for him to play.

Dhoni, 44, has been sidelined for three weeks due to the calf injury sustained ahead of the season and in his recovery, a lot of work has been put in on his speed while running between the wickets. “Hopefully, he’ll be back as soon as possible. I don’t know if it’s tomorrow [Saturday] or it’s maybe the next match after that, but he’s progressing really well.

“I know he’s been upping his running speeds and that was probably the sticking point. I think we’re very confident from a skill perspective with his batting and his wicketkeeping.

“But it was just making sure that he could maintain good running power, particularly towards the back end of an innings where he’s going to have to scan for those ones and twos. So as soon as he’s got the confidence in his calf, then I’m sure he’ll give it the tick to be ready to go,” Hussey said in the pre-match press conference ahead of their clash against Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.

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Their IPL 2026 campaigns hanging by a thread, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians face a must-win showdown here on Saturday, with both sides desperate to reverse their inconsistent form and stay afloat in the Playoff race.

The two most successful franchises in IPL history (both have won five IPL titles each) have endured a forgettable campaign so far, with neither side able to build sustained momentum.

While CSK have found conditions at the MA Chidambaram Stadium more familiar, their performances have lacked the clinical edge that has defined them over the years.

CSK’s batting has been inconsistent, particularly in the middle overs, while the bowling unit, traditionally their strength at home, has struggled to close out games under pressure.

Chennai Super Kings will bank on in-form Sanju Samson (right) and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and for a solid start. Pic/IPL

MI, too, have blown hot and cold this season. Despite flashes of brilliance from their top-order, the former champions have been let down by a fragile middle-order and an underwhelming bowling attack that has failed to defend totals or contain opposition batters at crucial junctures.

CSK will hope their spinners can exploit the slow Chepauk surface, while MI will bank on their power hitters to counter the spin threat.

Given their current form, neither side starts as a clear favourite, making this clash a battle of survival rather than dominance in what has traditionally been the IPL’s marquee rivalry.

Placed sixth in the points table with three wins from eight matches, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK are facing Playoff uncertainty due to inconsistency, a negative net run-rate, and the prolonged absence of MS Dhoni.

New recruit Sanju Samson has been CSK’s standout batter, scoring over 300 runs in eight innings including two swashbuckling hundreds.

MI’s campaign turned from bad to worse when they failed to defend 243 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday at their own den, exposing their inconsistency and inadequacy in bowling.

CSK are placed slightly better than MI’s ninth in the pecking order, and the latter must win all six of their remaining matches to reach 16 points and take a shot at qualification for Playoff.

Even one more loss will leave MI heavily dependent on net run-rate and other results going their way.

1
No. of times MI have won in their last six meetings against CSK

2
No. of centuries scored by Sanju Samson in the ongoing IPL — the most by any player

Last meeting, a nightmare for MI

In MI’s last meeting against CSK, at Wankhede on April 23, the latter crushed the hosts by 103 runs — MI’s biggest-ever defeat in the IPL (by runs). Opener Sanju Samson smashed an unbeaten 101 off 54 balls to power CSK to 207-6. In reply, MI collapsed for just 104 in 19 overs, with spinner Akeal Hosein claiming 4-17.

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West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder, 34, had to spend time on the bench in the first six matches of the 19th edition of the IPL, but after being included in the playing XI, he has turned Gujarat Titans’s otherwise ordinary run into one extra-ordinary one.

In only his third match for GT this season, Holder turned in a Player of the Match-winning performance, picking up two vital wickets (2-29) and holding on to three crucial catches, as GT beat in-form defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets on Thursday.

GT’s Director of Cricket, Vikram Solanki, rightly praised the 6-foot-7 West Indian at the post-match press conference.

Vikram Solanki

“When we were pursuing Jason at the auction, it was on our mind that he would be able to fulfil both roles — with bat and ball — as he offers that. He’s physically a strong guy, has great reach and leverage as far as the ball is concerned, so all of the technicalities are covered. He’s also now bringing in an added dimension, that sort of sprinkling stardust, if you like, of being a really experienced campaigner and I think that’s what’s playing out in front of us now,” Solanki said about Holder, who was picked up by GT for Rs 7 crore.

“He’s a world-class all-rounder, isn’t he? He has proved across the years in international cricket and franchise cricket how measured he is and I think he’s only getting better. He spoke about understanding his game and that of course comes with experience,” added Solanki.

Holder’s two wickets, three catches, including one controversial one, besides a calm 10-ball 12 later ensured GT easily got past the victory target of 156 set by RCB (155 all out in 19.2 overs) with 4.1 overs to spare.

Bengaluru’s star performer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-28) said the only chance RCB had of victory was to bowl out GT, which is why they persisted with seamers. “There was some help for seamers, and we had Romario [Shepherd], third seamer. So, we wanted to take a chance. Suyash [Sharma] is someone who is not easy to pick. We wanted to get wickets as quickly as possible,” he said while explaining the rationale behind not giving the ball to veteran spinner Krunal Pandya until the 16th over when victory was within GT’s grasp.

Three
No. of catches claimed by Jason Holder on Thursday — the joint-most outfield catches for Gujarat Titans in a single innings