Hours before the Chennai Super Kings started their IPL 2026 season against the Rajasthan Royals, fans received information about MS Dhoni's injury, which would prevent him from playing during the first part of the season. The franchise confirmed that the former skipper would stay unavailable for around the first two weeks, starting from Match 30. The official timeline stated that Dhoni would not be available to play against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Chepauk on April 14. The franchise has not yet made an official decision about his playing status for the KKR game, which will occur on match day. The CSK nets provided the latest news about the former captain when the teams began their training session. The Chennai Super Kings lost to RR in Guwahati because Dhoni missed team travel but he trained afterwards with Dewald Brevis who was also recovering from an injury. The first images showed Dhoni might return to the playing XI earlier than fans expected. The CSK statement was released 12 days ago yet ESPNcricinfo reports that Dhoni has not yet started his wicketkeeping training. Before the KKR match he practiced throwdowns with Michael Hussey and the support staff to maintain his match readiness during recent sessions. During the session Dhoni hit one delivery to first base but he also hit several pitchable balls into the stands which demonstrated his ability to hit with power. The three-time champions of IPL 2026 will play Match 22 against KKR without him since he currently has no chance of playing in the game. Also Read | Its the debutants day! Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain crashed Rajasthan Royals in a massive 57-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad Days before hosting KKR, CSK ended a long wait with a home win over DC their first since March 2025 snapping a six-match losing streak at their Chennai fortress. The struggling KKR team, which has one point from four games, presents CSK with a strong opportunity to earn two points and improve their position in the standings. The team appears more established now because Sanju Samson achieved a century and Brevis returned, and CSK will gain momentum before Dhoni's return.