IPL 2026: Ruturaj Gaikwad updates on MS Dhoni's fitness, Fleming hopes for Brevis' return

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has shared an update on legendary wicketkeeper batter MS Dhoni’s fitness as he continues to remain on the sidelines. Dhoni has been ruled out of the initial few weeks of the IPL as he continues to undergo rehabilitation for a calf strain.

In his absence, CSK have been struggling massively and are still searching for their first win of the season. Ahead of CSK’s third game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Gaikwad was quizzed about Dhoni’s fitness, and he revealed that the veteran batter is on track in his recovery and eager to return to the pitch soon.

“He is on track. He is getting there slowly, slowly. He is eager to play. But you know it takes time sometimes. It will be soon,” Gaikwad said at the toss.

CSK’s struggles have followed them in the ongoing season as they’ve lost the first three fixtures so far. They were first bundled out for just 127 against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and later failed to defend 209 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at their home ground in Chennai. 

The five-time champions suffered their fourth successive defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their third fixture, losing by 43 runs after conceding a massive score of 250. Meanwhile, apart from Dhoni, CSK are also sweating over the fitness of their explosive batter Dewald Brevis, who’s also recovering from a side injury he picked up during training.

Fleming shares update on Brevis' fitness

CSK head coach Stephen Fleming is hoping for Brevis’ return for their next fixture.

"We hope he is going to be right for the next game. We have five days between the next game. We have been conservative and hopefully, these next five days go as well as we have planned, and he is ready to go. It's a big loss, but we are looking forward to getting him back,” Fleming said during his mid-match chat during the RCB vs CSK fixture.

After three successive losses, CSK are continuing to reel at the foot of the points table, having a net run rate of -2.517. They will next take on Delhi Capitals (DC) on Saturday, April 11, at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, desperate to revive their campaign.