Veteran Chennai Super Kings star MS Dhoni has reportedly not travelled with the CSK squad to Lucknow for their upcoming IPL 2026 encounter against Lucknow Super Giants. The match is scheduled to be played at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Friday.
The 44-year-old wicketkeeper-batter had suffered a calf strain ahead of the IPL 2026 season. Although Dhoni has recovered from the injury, he continues to remain unavailable for selection and has yet to feature for Chennai this season.
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In his absence, Sanju Samson — who joined CSK from Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2026 — has been handling wicketkeeping duties for the five-time champions.
According to reports, Dhoni had initially booked his travel along with the squad but later decided not to accompany the team to Lucknow. If he misses the clash against LSG, fans will have to wait longer to see the legendary cricketer return to action on the field.
Despite remaining out of the playing XI, Dhoni continues to play an active mentoring role within the Chennai camp, offering guidance and support to younger players.
One such player is CSK youngster Urvil Patel, who recently stunned fans by smashing the joint-fastest fifty in IPL history off just 13 balls during Chennai’s match against Lucknow Super Giants.
The explosive right-handed batter hammered 65 runs off only 23 deliveries at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, clearing the ropes eight times in a sensational innings. Urvil also became the first player in IPL history to smash six sixes within the first eight balls of an innings, helping CSK post a massive powerplay score during the chase.
Following the match, Urvil revealed that a conversation with Dhoni in the dressing room helped him overcome self-doubt after failing to convert promising starts in earlier games.
Speaking in a video shared by the IPL, Urvil said he had approached Dhoni for advice after getting dismissed early in a couple of matches.
According to the youngster, Dhoni reassured him by saying that there was no issue with his skillset and that the only challenge was mental clarity. Dhoni advised him to stay confident, remain clear in his approach, and focus on hitting the right ball into the right areas.
Urvil credited the CSK icon’s words for helping him trust his natural attacking game and play with greater confidence during his record-equalling innings.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
