Former captain MS Dhoni is unlikely to feature in CSK’s final home game of IPL 2026 season against SRH at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday.
Updated: May 18, 2026 12:21 PM IST
CSK vs SRH IPL 2026: Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings are in a scrap with 5 other teams in a bid to reach the IPL 2026 Playoffs stages. As they head into their final home match of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday, the question of everyone’s mind is whether former captain MS Dhoni will take the risk of playing in a ‘must-win’ fixture like this.
Dhoni is yet to make a single appearance in the IPL 2026 season after suffering a calf-strain in the pre-season training camp. The former India captain and wicketkeeper training with CSK team and even batted in the nets at Chepauk on Sunday but is unlikely to risk himself in a massive fixture like this, according to former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar.
“The match against SRH is a crucial one for CSK. It’s their last home game at Chepauk, so naturally fans want to see MS Dhoni play. But he hasn’t featured at all this season. In fact, he hasn’t played competitive cricket for over a year. So, I doubt he would want to take such a risk at this stage. You need players who have been match-fit and playing regularly for the last six weeks,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports show ‘Amul Cricket Live’.
“Dhoni is a complete team-man. I don’t think he would want to disrupt the current combination. I would be very surprised if he plays against SRH. This is a must-win game for CSK. A victory keeps them alive in the playoff race. They have to win this match at all costs, and bringing in a player who hasn’t played in over a year could be a gamble,” JioStar expert Gavaskar said.
CSK may, however, bring back West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hossain into the playing 11 considering the pitch conditions at Chepauk. South African all-rounder Dian Forrester, who replaced injured Jamie Overton last week, has joined the CSK side and even had a training session on Sunday.
Pat Cummins-led SRH, on the other hand, may consider going in with left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey considering that CSK batting line-up is packed with right-handers.
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— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 18, 2026
Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2026 match no 63 Predicted 12
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Akeal Hosein, Anshul Kamboj, Spencer Johnson, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, R Smaran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Pat Cummins (c), Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain
