IPL 2026: Will Rohit, Dhoni play? Training clips fuel big debate

Despite injury concerns, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni participated in a training session before the high-profile Mumbai Indians versus Chennai Super Kings IPL match, leaving fans eager to know if they will play.

Decked in their respective teams' training kits, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni batted in tandem in the nets session in Mumbai on Wednesday, even as they are yet to be officially cleared for availability in the Indian Premier League clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings on Thursday.

The first leg of this year's IPL 'El Clasico' will be played here at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday but it remains to be seen if two main protagonists of the famed MI-CSK rivalry are available for another bout.

Injury Concerns for Key Players

Rohit, who featured in the first four matches for MI, had walked off the pitch during the contest against Royal Challengers Bengaluru here 10 days ago with a hamstring injury and has been on a comeback trail since.

On the other hand, Dhoni is yet to take the field in this IPL as he has been nursing a calf strain which he picked up right before the tournament got underway late last month.

Dhoni's Training and Availability

The legendary CSK skipper had a full tilt in the training session here on Tuesday when he kept the wickets followed by a batting session in the nets.

On Wednesday, he had a very short stint before taking a break and returned later on for nearly an hour to face throwdown specialists and fast bowlers.

While he did connect with a few that went sailing, Dhoni had a mixed outing in which he also missed connecting with a few. Dhoni's availability, as per CSK bowling coach Eric Simons, will entirely depend on how "happy" the former skipper and the team's medical staff are.

Light Moments and Team Preparations

But there were some light moments too on the field when Dhoni, a perennial dog lover, spotted the AI-powered IPL robotic dog and spent a few moments playing with it. He tried to have the dog imitate him with gestures, but there were also times when the robot couldn't.

Earlier in the day, Rohit arrived with his family in tow at the Wankhede before his batting stint under lights.

As per the team, the former Mumbai Indians' skipper has been batting but a final call on his selection would be taken around the toss time on Thursday. By the look of it, Rohit did not seem to be having any specific discomfort as he looked to time and place the ball more often than whacking it.

Suryakumar Yadav's Form

Meanwhile, India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav had three separate batting stints in the nets here on Wednesday which was MI's only full-squad training session apart from an optional one on Tuesday.

Apart from a sedate half-century in an away game against Delhi Capitals, Suryakumar has not been able to match the consistency which he had last season when he notched up 16 consecutive scores of at least 25 runs or more.