MS Dhoni misses entire IPL season for first time as CSK get knocked out

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is synonymous with Chennai Super Kings and the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has been the face of the team and one of the most talked-about personalities in the history of the tournament. Fans crave to see the veteran in action, which is only possible for two months a year. Yet, this time, MSD did not grace fans with his presence in even a single game in IPL 2026 – a historic first for him.

MS Dhoni misses entire league stage of IPL 2026 – a historic first

Dhoni has been a part of CSK since the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008. Since then, he has never missed the entire league stage for the franchise in a single season until IPL 2026. It was just before the start of this season that Thala sustained a calf injury, which ruled him out of the first few matches. While he looked like he had recovered by mid-April, reports suggested that Dhoni did not want to disturb the team combination and hence decided not to insert himself into the playing XI.

Dhoni wasn’t even a part of the team dugout for any of the side’s matches. Just when everyone thought that MS could play the final few matches, or perhaps at least CSK’s final league stage fixture, he reportedly sustained a thumb injury and then returned to Ranchi while the rest of the team travelled to Ahmedabad.

Credits: Alamy images

Before IPL 2026, Dhoni had missed just five games in the history of the tournament. Those five matches were – vs Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2010, and vs Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians in 2019.

Dhoni has been CSK’s most successful captain, having guided them to five IPL titles and 10 finals. He handed over the reins of the team to Ruturaj Gaikwad at the start of IPL 2025, only to be handed it back as the latter was injured and ruled out of the tournament.

The post MS Dhoni misses entire IPL season for first time as CSK get knocked out appeared first on Inside Sport India.