MS Dhoni's return to action for CSK delayed by 'setback', says coach Stephen Fleming

The head coach of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Stephen Fleming, has revealed that MS Dhoni's return to action for the franchise has been delayed due to a "setback" the former captain suffered during his rehab after suffering a calf injury in one of the pre-season warm-up matches.

Fleming added that putting excessive strain on the affected region could rule him out of the entire season. The former captain has been working hard with the physio to "get some movement into it."

"The calf is a tough one," Fleming said after CSK's eight-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday. "If he takes off and rips the calf again, then he will be gone [for the whole season]. So we pushed it early. In a warm-up game, he tweaked it again, is my understanding. And since then, he has been just working hard to get some movement into it. But there was a setback."

Dhoni joined CSK's pre-season training sessions in March and was actively pushing to get into his stride. However, he hasn't been a part of any of CSK's eight matches this season, which suggests the injury is quite sensitive.

Fleming refrained from giving a definite timeline for Dhoni's return and mentioned the former CSK captain is doing everything in his capacity to get back onto the field as soon as possible.

"But look, he's the guide on this one," Fleming said. "And he's working hard with the physio and doing all the rehab. We're just waiting for the word, really. But all I can keep saying, it's not making light of this, he is progressing and doing everything."

CSK find themselves sixth on the IPL 2026 points table after eight games with three wins and five defeats. They have accumulated six points and have a net run rate (NRR) of -0.121.