Fans at Chepauk were hoping to see MS Dhoni take the field one more time in Chennai during the Indian Premier League 2026. The atmosphere inside the stadium got electrified when the former CSK captain appeared during the mid-innings team photoshoot, leading many to believe he would play against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday.
However, those hopes were quickly dashed.
Reports later confirmed that MS Dhoni missed the match due to a fresh thumb injury as current captain Ruturaj Gaikwad officially confirmed his absence during the toss. The game marked Chennai Super Kings’ final home fixture of the season, making Dhoni’s absence even more disappointing for the home crowd.
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Despite missing one of their most experienced players, Chennai started aggressively with Sanju Samson leading the charge. The opener attacked early, smashing 17 runs in the very first over with a mix of boundaries and a six against Nitish Kumar Reddy. He continued his attacking approach in the next over as well, putting Hyderabad’s bowlers under pressure.
But Pat Cummins quickly pulled things back for SRH. The Hyderabad skipper dismissed Sanju Samson after his quick start, with Ishan Kishan completing the catch. Urvil Patel showed intent with two sixes before being bowled by Sakib Hussain.
Ruturaj Gaikwad then stitched together a 42-run partnership with Kartik Sharma, who impressed with a brisk 32 off 19 balls. However, Pat Cummins struck again to remove Kartik Sharma, while Ruturaj Gaikwad also departed soon after.
Chennai regained momentum through Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube, who added 59 runs for the fifth wicket. Dewald Brevis scored a fluent 44 off 27 balls before Eshan Malinga dismissed him. Despite a late push in the final overs, CSK narrowly missed reaching the 200-run mark.
CSK could manage 180/7 in their 20 overs and SRH chased the target of 181 runs with one over remaining in their innings.
