MS Dhoni has reportedly not travelled to Ahmedabad for CSK’s upcoming clash against Gujarat Titans, effectively ruling out the possibility of a farewell appearance in the Indian Premier League this season, according to a report by RevSportz.
CSK’s playoff hopes suffered a major blow after back-to-back defeats against Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Dhoni was present during the SRH game, which also marked Chennai’s final home fixture of IPL 2026.
Although he did not feature in the playing XI, Dhoni joined the post-match proceedings after the five-wicket loss and thanked the Chepauk crowd with a lap of honour at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
The report further stated that Dhoni is yet to take a final call on whether he will continue playing in IPL 2027. However, the CSK management remains hopeful that the legendary wicketkeeper-batter will return for the franchise’s final home game next season.
Chennai Super Kings are currently sixth on the points table with 12 points from 13 matches. While they are still mathematically in contention for a playoff spot, they need to win their final league game and depend on several other results going in their favour.
Dhoni’s IPL 2026 campaign was disrupted early after he suffered a calf strain ahead of the season opener. Though initially expected to miss only the first couple of weeks, his comeback was delayed due to a setback during rehabilitation. Reports also suggested that Dhoni did not want to disturb the team’s settled combination during the second half of the season. Just when he was nearing a return, a suspected thumb injury reportedly ruled him out again.
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin pointed out that CSK are currently going through a transition phase following the end of the Dhoni captaincy era, with Ruturaj Gaikwad taking over the leadership role in 2024.
Ashwin urged fans and stakeholders to remain patient, stressing that building a new leadership group in a successful franchise takes time.
