IPL 2026: MS Dhoni ‘steadily improving’ but hasn’t travelled to New Delhi, says Eric Simons

Dhoni has not played in any games this season, with his last IPL appearance occurring against the Gujarat Titans on May 25, 2025.

New Delhi:  Veteran wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni is steadily recovering from a calf injury, but Chennai Super Kings bowling consultant Eric Simons confirmed that he has not travelled with the squad to New Delhi for their upcoming IPL 2026 clash against Delhi Capitals, to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. “An update on MS Dhoni is way above my pay grade. He is not with us but steadily improving. He will be ready when he is ready and he knows when he is ready to play. No, he hasn’t travelled with the team,” Simons said in the pre-match press conference.

Dhoni hasn’t featured in a single game this season, with his last IPL appearance coming against Gujarat Titans on May 25 in the 2025 edition.

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Five-time champions CSK, meanwhile, sit at sixth place on the points table with four wins from nine games. The equation is straightforward for CSK – they need at least four more victories from their remaining fixtures to stay in the hunt for the playoffs.

A positive thing for CSK has been that skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was among the runs in the past two games via unbeaten knocks of 74 and 67 respectively.

Describing Gaikwad as a ‘surgeon in this world of chaos batting,’ Simons noted that the right-handed opener has found his rhythm again. “We have been clear about the leadership group and he’s clearly the leader of the team.

It was just again a case of when he gets his runs. He has had some tough innings in the sense that we have been in trouble. “The wickets have been tough and he has battled through them.

I think that is the hallmark of a really quality batsman – that he doesn’t score runs on good wickets. For me I have always called him a surgeon in this world of chaos batting. “He is the kind of guy that gets 50 runs in 22 balls and you haven’t noticed him. We are starting to see that part of him again. The leadership has always been there. He has always been the captain. It is good that he is now scoring runs but there was never a doubt that he was going to,” elaborated Simons.

While the likes of Sanju Samson, Urvil Patel and Kartik Sharma have come to the run-making party, Shivam Dube and Dewald Brevis are yet to hit substantial knocks.

Dube has offered glimpses of his hitting power, but has been patchy in consistency while making 150 runs from eight innings at a strike rate of 140. Brevis, meanwhile, is yet to find rhythm in IPL 2026 – managing only 64 runs across four knocks, averaging 16 with a strike rate of 121 – after missing initial few matches due to a side strain. “Nothing is really ailing them. In this tournament, we have seen top players struggle for a bit before playing a breakout innings. “With the quality those two individuals bring, it is just a case of when it happens rather than if it happens. So there is not an over concern around it. It is just the way it happens in this tournament – games come quick and fast.

“They play in a tough period of the game and you can go out there and try and accelerate the run rates and get out and before you know it two or three innings have gone by. They are both very, very experienced cricketers and very good cricketers with great records. It is just a case of when they come right.”