(Image source from: Mid-day.com)

MS Dhoni is expected to be absent for the first couple of weeks of IPL 2026 because of a calf injury, announced Chennai Super Kings on Saturday. "MS Dhoni is presently going through rehab for a calf issue. Consequently, he is anticipated to be out for the initial two weeks of TATA IPL 2026," the team posted online. CSK will face Rajasthan Royals in their first game on Monday. Earlier that day, CSK released a video showing the team’s practice match, where Dhoni was batting and Sanju Samson was behind the stumps. However, the team has confirmed that the experienced wicket-keeper batsman won't participate in the upcoming match against Rajasthan Royals. With Dhoni sidelined for a while, it is highly likely that Samson will take over the wicket-keeping duties for CSK in the first few matches as they pursue their sixth IPL championship. Before, Samson was the captain of RR and was traded to CSK after the franchise exchanged all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.

While the English all-rounder has been declared out of IPL 2026 due to an injury, it will be intriguing to see Samson and Jadeja play against their previous teams on Monday when RR meets CSK at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.

There has been ongoing speculation that this season might actually be Dhoni's final one, especially with his ongoing knee problems. Dhoni even admitted he is not as fit as before during the 'ROAR 26' event for fans at Chepauk stadium recently, stating that "it is on the way down. " These fitness, age, and knee concerns have led him to bat lower in the order and focus on hitting big during the final overs, allowing him to protect his body while also entertaining his fans, known as the 'Thala Kingdom'. With Ruturaj Gaikwad leading the team for some time and the franchise bringing in fan favorite wicketkeeper Samson alongside investing 14.20 crores in uncapped Rajasthan wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma, the rumors about IPL 2026 being Dhoni's last have grown stronger, as these moves seem like steps for life after Dhoni for CSK. In 278 matches, Dhoni has scored 5,439 runs in 242 innings with an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45, including 24 fifties and a top score of 84. He ranks as the sixth-highest run-scorer in the history of the tournament. In the previous season, where CSK finished at the bottom, Dhoni scored 196 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of over 135, with a top score of 30.