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MS Dhoni has not travelled with Chennai Super Kings to Guwahati, where they will face Rajasthan Royals in their IPL 2026 opener.
MS Dhoni has stayed back in Chennai ahead of CSK's away game against RR in Guwahati on Monday. (PTI)Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni has not travelled with the squad to face Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati on Monday, a move that Ravichandran Ashwin, Dhoni's former teammate, finds unusual.
MS Dhoni has been ruled out of the first two weeks of IPL 2026 because of a calf strain, and usually, the Jharkhand cricketer travels with the team even if he is injured. However, this time, he has stayed back in Chennai.
R Ashwin on MS Dhoni not travelling with CSK
“That is his personal choice, Mahi usually does not do this. If he is in the squad, he travels. Maybe he might have done rehab also. But it is his personal choice, how can we give our opinion on that decision? But CSK’s fan base will definitely come for this game,” Ashwin said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.
With Dhoni ruled out for at least the next fortnight, Sanju Samson looks set to make his CSK debut and don the wicketkeeper's gloves. Samson was traded from Rajasthan Royals (RR) to Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
Over the last few years, Dhoni’s future in the IPL as a player has been a talking point. After guiding CSK to their fifth IPL title in 2023, Dhoni underwent a surgery for his knee in Mumbai, and has batted down the order recently.
Overall, in the IPL, Dhoni has played 278 matches and has scored 5439 runs, that includes 24 half-centuries.
R Ashwin suggests No.3 batting spot for Sanju Samson
Meanwhile, Ashwin suggested the No.3 batting spot for the Kerala cricketer. “I will think of playing Sanju at No.3. But if you have already decided that Ruturaj and Samson will open, then you can think about playing Sarfaraz Khan. There is no need for Matthew Short to play, but you never know. I have seen him bowl in the practice games," he said.
“So these guys can go in that direction as well because Short has played at No.5, or at No.3 at times, and also gives you four overs. RR have Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, and Ravindra Jadeja, so CSK will need an off-spinner,” added the former Tamil Nadu cricketer.
The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side failed to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs after finishing the league stage in 10th place with just eight points.
After the match against Rajasthan Royals, CSK will take on Punjab Kings in Chennai on 3 April before their blockbuster clash against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The two South Indian heavyweight outfits will lock horns at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on 5 April.
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