In a major blow to Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni suffered a fresh calf injury before the team's loss against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday, April 26. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed that Dhoni tweaked his calf again during the warm-up game, hinting at a delayed return for the former captain.

MS Dhoni suffered a calf injury before the start of the IPL 2026 season and was confirmed to miss the first two weeks of the tournament. However, the 44-year-old remains out on the sidelines after the team's eight games. He has been regular in the team's practice sessions and batting in the nets, but has yet to recover.

After failing to defend 158 runs against LSG at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Fleming confirmed a recovery setback for MS Dhoni. Speaking to the reporters at Chepauk, the Kiwi coach said that Dhoni tweaked his calf while recovering.

"He's pretty keen. The calf is a tough one, though. If he takes off and rips the calf again, then he will be gone," Fleming said. "So we pushed it early, in the warm-up game, he tweaked it again, it's my understanding, and since then he has been just working hard to get some movement into it, but there was a setback, so it has taken longer than we thought."

Meanwhile, without the former skipper, the five-time champions have lost five and won three matches in IPL 2026 so far.

Fleming backs MS Dhoni for speedy recovery

MS Dhoni will turn 45 in July and remains the oldest player in IPL 2026. He has been batting in the lower order, facing a handful of deliveries since the 2024 season, but is also struggling with fitness.

Recovering from injury at this age is not easy for any player, and Dhoni is no exception. Fans are eagerly waiting for his first game of the season, but cautious Stephen Fleming asks for patience.

"He is the guide on this one, and he's working hard with the physio and doing all the rehab, and we're just waiting for the word really," Fleming added. "But all I can keep saying is stop making light of it, as he is progressing and doing everything he can."

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