MS Dhoni found in new avatar at CSK nets amid talks of playing return in IPL 2026; ‘Humko bhi ek wicket chahiye’

MS Dhoni was found in a new avatar as the former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper turned into a bowler at the nets, ahead of their home Indian Premier League (IPL) game against Lucknow Super Giants on May 10. The 44-year-old Dhoni is yet to play a game in IPL 2026 due to injury - first such instance where Dhoni had to sit out for such a longer stretch.

Initially rules out for two weeks due to calf strain, it's been more than a month that Dhoni is yet to play a game in IPL 2026. Although the five-time IPL-winning captain is batting at the nets at full tilt, Dhoni is yet to be match fit, according to batting coach Michael Hussey. In fact, Dhoni doesn't even travel to the ground on CSK's match days.

In a video released by CSK on Thursday, Dhoni was seen rolling his arm over against one of youngsters at the nets at Chepauk. “Humko bhi ek wicket chahiye (I also want one wicket)," Dhoni was heard saying.

The franchise captioned the post, “Just too AdoraBOWL!” With no Dhoni in the playing XI, India's T20 World Cup 2026 hero Sanju Samson is donning the big gloves in this season. Notably, Samson has already scored two hundreds for his new franchise in IPL 2026.

Earlier, Dhoni skipped their trip to Delhi. When asked about Dhoni's absence in Delhi, CSK bowling coach Eric Simmons pushed the ball in Dhoni's court. "Update on MS Dhoni is way above my pay grade. He's not with us, but he's improving. He will be ready when he's ready. He knows when he's ready to play," Simmons had said. In all, Dhoni has missed 10 games in a row.

How did MS Dhoni fare in IPL 2025?

Last year, Dhoni was retained by the CSK as an "uncapped player" for ₹4 crore ahead of IPL 2025, and this retention was extended for IPL 2026, keeping his salary unchanged. Dhoni had a decent IPL 2025 season with the bat, making 196 runs from 14 matches at an average of 24.50 and a strike-rate of 135.17.

CSK are currently sixth on the points table, having recovered well from a difficult start that saw them suffer three consecutive defeats. Earlier, CSK batting coach Michael Hussey said that MS Dhoni deliberately chose not to attend CSK's IPL 2026 matches because he didn't want to become a distraction for the team.

"He's such a team-oriented guy, MS Dhoni. He always wants what's best for the team, and he was worried that if he came, there'd be a bit too much of a distraction. Obviously, the cameras would be on him a lot. The crowd would be cheering for him and things like that," Hussey said.