- By Namrata Vijay
- Mon, 18 May 2026 11:09 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
CSK vs SRH IPL 2026: MS Dhoni arrived at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium for the ongoing IPL 2026 match. This season, calf strains have sidelined the former skipper from all matches. Reports indicate that Dhoni chose to sit out, not wanting to disrupt the playing XI, as the team remains in playoff contention. Before their last home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, there were reports that Dhoni had suffered a thumb injury.
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad confirmed Dhoni's presence at the venue, noting that he has not fully recovered. Fans were eager to catch a glimpse of Dhoni, and a photo of him in the CSK dressing room quickly spread on social media.
I think Dhoni has appointed a guy to stand in front and hide him whenever the camera pans towards him pic.twitter.com/aNnHWKbvC5
— Achhu (@Achhyuthaa) May 18, 2026
MS Dhoni having a smile with team-mates pic.twitter.com/af8gA0DsQb
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 18, 2026
CSK POST 181/6 IN A MASSIVE GAME
— Yogesh Goswami (@yogeshgoswami_) May 18, 2026
CSK finish on 181/6 from 20 overs - Crunch time at Chepauk with playoff pressure at its peak
SRH need 182 to seal a playoff
MS Dhoni on the field, Chepauk still chanting for Thala #CSKvSRH #IPL2026 #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/be2F9k8oSP
Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and elected to bat first against Pat Cummins' side at Chepauk. The hosts made a single change to their playing XI, reintroducing Akeal Hosein, while MS Dhoni again missed the game due to injury.
ALSO READ: IPL 2026: CSK Fans Slam Ruturaj Gaikwad For 15 Off 21 Balls Without A Boundary
After winning the toss, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad stated, "We want to bat first. It's straightforward for us—approach each game individually, focus on winning this one, assess conditions carefully, and give our best."
He added, "There's nothing special; we must respect the conditions and choose what's optimal. Batting first feels right now."
After losing the toss, SRH captain Pat Cummins said, "It's T20 cricket—every game is tough. We probably would have preferred to bowl. We are fielding the same team as last game."
The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led squad stands sixth in the points table, with six wins and six losses from twelve matches. They remain in playoff contention despite dropping their first three games. They entered this match after losing to the Rishabh Pant-led team by seven wickets in Lucknow. To qualify for the playoffs, they must win their last two matches.
Meanwhile, Pat Cummins' side rallied after a weak start, losing three of their first four contests. They currently hold third place with seven victories in twelve matches. Beating the Chennai franchise would boost their playoff chances. They entered the game following an 87-run loss to the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.