40 minutes wicketkeeping, batting for an hour: MS Dhoni almost confirms his comeback for IPL's El Clasico

Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) legendary captain and wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni showed signs of regaining full fitness ahead of the Indian Premier League's (IPL) El Clasico battle. At the Wankhede Stadium on April 21, Dhoni was seen keeping the wickets for nearly 40 minutes. Later, he had a batting session in the nets that almost lasted an hour.

Dhoni kept the wickets to Sarfaraz Khan and Urvil Patel. With Ayush Mhatre ruled out of the remainder of the tournament, Urvil is likely to get a chance. It is yet to be seen whether Sarfaraz gets a promotion in the batting order, getting the no.3 role.

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Dhoni faced CSK bowlers followed by throwdowns. He had faced throwdowns before but didn't bat close to an hour.

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Dhoni has missed six of CSK's games. Currently, they sit at the no.8 position on the points table with a negative net run rate (NRR). Their next clash is against Mumbai Indians (MI) who have lost four out of six games as well but have a better NRR, thanks to the 99-run win over Gujarat Titans (GT) to end the losing streak on April 20.

In the clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), CSK lacked a finisher. Matthew Short’s slow knock also hurt their chances, leaving too much for Shivam Dube and Jamie Overton to chase down. If the 44-year-old delivers cameos down the order, it will be a huge boost for CSK.

MI get a big boost too

MI’s England recruit Will Jacks has joined the camp as well and is highly likely to step on the field on April 23 against CSK. Jacks had missed the first six games due to personal reasons.

Jacks may be able to solve a few problems in the MI lineup. If Rohit Sharma misses the CSK clash, Jacks can open the innings with Quinton de Kock. The Englishman can also bat down the order as he showed in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. His bowling has been exceptional too. He won four ‘player of the match’ awards in T20 World Cup 2026 and played a major role in taking England into semifinals. His wicket was crucial in the high-scoring semifinal India won against England.