MS Dhoni ruled out of CSK vs SRH IPL 2026 match 27 with calf strain

Chennai Super Kings have confirmed that MS Dhoni will not play in their IPL 2026 Match 27 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad on April 18. The 44-year-old has been managing a calf strain since before the season started, and the injury has not cleared up in time for this fixture. It is the sixth match of the season that Dhoni has missed.

CSK issued an official statement at the start of IPL 2026 saying Dhoni would miss approximately the first two weeks of the tournament. That window has now stretched further. He was seen training in the nets at Chepauk ahead of the KKR game on April 14, which gave fans some hope, but there has been no official confirmation of a return date. The franchise has indicated he could feature against Mumbai Indians or in the home game against Gujarat Titans.

What Dhoni's absence actually costs CSK

The wicketkeeping itself has not been the main problem. Sanju Samson has handled that well. The bigger issue is what Dhoni normally does in the field between overs, reading the pitch, adjusting the field, talking to bowlers in real time. Ruturaj Gaikwad is doing the best he can as captain, but Dhoni has spent nearly two decades making those micro-decisions look routine. They are not.

CSK lost their first three games this season, against Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings. All three were away fixtures. Dhoni did not travel for any of them. The team has since won two in a row at home, beating Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders at Chepauk. The pattern is difficult to ignore: CSK have not won a single away game in IPL 2026.

The game at Hyderabad is another away fixture. CSK head into it on a run of form that has only happened within the comfort of their home ground. Whether that matters tonight depends partly on how well Gaikwad reads conditions at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, a venue where chasing teams have won around 57 percent of T20 matches.

Sanju Samson's role has grown beyond keeping wickets

Samson has stepped into a bigger role than simply replacing Dhoni behind the stumps. Against Delhi Capitals at Chepauk, he scored an unbeaten 115 off 57 balls, carrying his bat through the entire innings while scoring at a strike rate of over 200. That was CSK's first win of the season, and it came almost entirely because of Samson at the top of the order. He then contributed 48 runs in the win over KKR.

Samson has now scored 163 runs in five innings for CSK this season. His presence in the batting order has given CSK a dimension they lacked in their first three games. The question in Hyderabad will be whether he can replicate that form on a pitch that is flatter and more bouncy than Chepauk, against an attack that includes Harsh Dubey and young debutants Prafull Hinge and Dilshan Madushanka.

CSK's bowling without Khaleel Ahmed

CSK are also dealing with the absence of Khaleel Ahmed, who was ruled out of the entire IPL 2026 season with a right quadricep tear. He picked up the injury during the KKR game on April 14. Khaleel had been one of CSK's more reliable new-ball options, and losing him for the rest of the season leaves a gap in their first-six-overs plans.

Anshul Kamboj has been their best bowler this season with 10 wickets, and Jamie Overton has also been effective with 5 wickets and some handy runs lower down the order. Noor Ahmad picked up three wickets in the KKR game and is likely to be central against SRH's batting-heavy lineup that includes Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen.

When could Dhoni return to the CSK lineup

CSK's next home game after the Hyderabad fixture is against Gujarat Titans, scheduled for late April. Their away game against Mumbai Indians on April 23 comes first. The franchise has not set a hard date for Dhoni's return, and the approach appears to be managing his workload carefully rather than rushing him back.

At 44, Dhoni does not keep wickets in every game even when fit. CSK have used him selectively for years. The difference this season is that he has not been on the field at all, which removes his influence completely. If CSK can win away games while he is still recovering, his eventual return becomes a bonus rather than a rescue plan. Their record outside Chennai so far makes that a hard ask.