'He just needs to get confidence in his running and build that speed up.'
Key Points
- MS Dhoni is recovering from a calf strain and has not yet played in IPL 2026.
- Michael Hussey said Dhoni is batting well but working on running fitness.
- Hussey said that he is unsure about the exact return date but hopes Dhoni will be back soon.
Chennai Super Kings batting coach Michael Hussey has expressed hope that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will return to action soon in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026.
Dhoni has missed all six of CSK's matches this season so far due to a calf strain and is also unlikely to play the next game against Mumbai Indians on April 23.
The 44-year-old stumper-batter has been batting in the nets, but his return to the playing XI remains uncertain.
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Dhoni progressing well from calf injury
Speaking after CSK’s 10-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, April 18, 2026, Hussey said Dhoni is making steady progress in his rehabilitation and added that, as a batting coach, he is satisfied with Dhoni’s form with the bat.
"He's progressing nicely with his rehab. And look, I'm a batting coach, and I'm happy with how he's batting," he said.
The Australian revealed Dhoni's main focus of recovery is improving running fitness and speed, especially for quick runs between the wickets in later stages of an innings.
While Hussey did not confirm a return date, he said the team hopes Dhoni will be back in action soon.
"As you saw yesterday at training, he's batting well. He was very happy with where his batting is at. He's just about progressing with his running, because if he's going to bat towards the back end of the innings, he's going to have to scurry back for those twos and things like that. He just needs to get confidence in his running and build that speed up. I don't know when he'll play, but I'm hoping it's sooner rather than later, like all the fans are," he added.
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CSK drop to seventh spot
With the 10-run loss to SRH, CSK slipped to seventh with two victories in six games.
In 278 IPL matches, Dhoni has made 5,439 runs in 242 innings at an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45, including 24 fifties and a best score of 84 not out.
He is the sixth-highest run getter in the tournament history. In last season's wooden spoon finish, Dhoni scored 196 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of over 135, with a best score of an unbeaten 30.
© 2026