Mahendra Singh Dhoni Misses Entire IPL Season for First Time as CSK Face Historic Setback

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is closely connected with Chennai Super Kings and the Indian Premier League. He has been the face of the team and one of the biggest stars in IPL history. Fans wait every year to watch him play, but in IPL 2026, Dhoni did not appear in a single match for the first time ever. 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’s Absence Ends Historic IPL Streak for CSK in 2026

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was not even seen in the team dugout during any of Chennai Super Kings matches. When fans hoped he might return for the final few games or at least CSK’s last league match, reports claimed that Dhoni suffered a thumb injury. After that, he returned to Ranchi while the rest of the team travelled to Ahmedabad. 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.