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Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) legendary captain MS Dhoni arrived at Chepauk but did not play against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on May 18. After CSK’s five-wicket loss to SRH, Dhoni stepped out of the dressing room and took a lap, waving to the fans who stayed. Dhoni also met his former CSK teammate Suresh Raina. The former India batter revealed his conversation with Dhoni on the ground. He also requested Dhoni to not retire without playing for CSK in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2027.
“I told him ‘you have given IPL 2026 a missed call. It won’t count. You have to come back next year’,” Raina said on Star Sports.
“He said ‘my body is a little weak’ - I said ‘we are not believing anything. You have to play next year’. It’s his personal call. I think he is positive. The team is also gelling well again.”
Dhoni hasn’t played a single game this season due to fitness concerns. One injury report after another, the 44-year-old did not feature in the playing eleven or as an impact player.
Who CSK will face next for another playoffs attempt?
After the defeat in last home game of the season, CSK slipped to the sixth position on the points table. CSK are not out of the playoffs contention but their chances have taken a huge dent. They will play Gujarat Titans (GT) in an away game on May 21. A win against GT by a big margin may not guarantee them the last available spot in playoffs bas there are other four teams in the race as well.
Fleming on Dhoni’s presence
After the match, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming blamed injuries to key players as one of the main reasons behind their unimpressive campaign.
"MS has been around a lot this year, which has been really important for the team, for a lot of the young players, and for continuity," Fleming said during the post-match press conference.
"So, he’s been a big part of it. He hasn’t played, but he’s still had a big influence on the team."
If CSK don’t make it to playoffs, this will be their third consecutive poor reason. While Fleming has backed underfire skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, it is yet to be seen whether CSK take the harsh call or not.
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