2 min readUpdated: May 4, 2026 04:27 PM IST
MS Dhoni has not travelled to Delhi for Chennai Super Kings’ next match against the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League 2026. The five-time champions’ bowling coach Eric Simmons told the media on Monday that the Dhoni hasn’t travelled to the national capital for the game that will be played on Tuesday, thus possibly making it the 10th match that the 44-year-old has missed this season.
“Update on MS Dhoni is way above my pay grade,” said Simmons on the eve of CSK’s 10th match of the season against Delhi Capitals. “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.”
CSK are currently placed sixth on the league table, having picked themselves up after a rather disastrous start in which they suffered with three back-to-back defeats. They had revealed ahead of their season opener that Dhoni had been ruled out for the first two weeks with a calf injury. Since then, the talismanic former captain underwent a fitness test, cleared it and joined the team to the away trips to Hyderabad and Mumbai. However, despite travelling with the team and practicing regularly, Dhoni has stayed away from the dugout on match days.
CSK batting coach Mike Hussey earlier said that Dhoni isn’t turning up at venues on match days as it could turn into a distraction for the team. “He’s such a team-orientated 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,” said Hussey ahead of CSK’s last match against MI. CSK won the game by eight wickets.
“Obviously, the cameras would be on him a lot. The crowd would be cheering for him and things like that. And he really wanted the team to just be able to go about their job, do our thing. Whether that’s right or wrong, that’s not my decision to sort of make, but that’s the thinking behind with Dhoni not wanting to come to the matches,” Hussey said.
