Gaikwad gave a careful update about Dhoni's fitness before the 2026 IPL game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Dhoni has been recovering from his calf injury and wasn’t playing at the start of the season. Gaikwad said Dhoni is “getting better slowly” and will play again as soon as he is ready.
Gaikwad’s comments at the M. Chinnaswamy
At the toss in Chinnaswamy Stadium, Gaikwad also described the field and what the team intended to do, saying they would bowl first on a surface that was likely to have a high score. He admitted the first game was a disappointment, but said the batting had improved in the second. About Dhoni, Gaikwad also said, “It sometimes takes time. If he’s able to play, it will be soon.”
Gaikwad said Dhoni won’t be out for long and asked everyone to be patient. The captain insisted the team is still confident and hasn’t changed who they are choosing to play even without their key player. He’s remaining calm publicly to reassure the fans and people involved with the team as the medical staff decide when Dhoni will come back.
Details of the injury and rehabilitation approach
CSK have said Dhoni is working on getting back from his calf injury which meant he would miss at least the first couple of weeks of the tournament. His rehabilitation is including running at increasing speeds, strength exercises, and supervised practice on the field to prevent another injury.
Stephen Fleming, the head coach, has emphasized that Dhoni is still a big part of the team, remaining “very involved” with the plans for the game and leading in the locker room. Even while he’s getting better physically, his ideas about strategy continue to affect how they plan for the game and what happens when they are actually playing.
How Dhoni’s absence is affecting team strategy
Dhoni isn’t just about how many runs he scores; he’s good at finishing the game and making quick decisions about where to place fielders, which all impacts CSK’s strategy. Without Dhoni, the team has tried Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma as finishers at the end of the innings, and they’ve changed the order of the top batsmen to experiment with different options.
So far, these changes haven’t been completely successful. Sanju Samson, who has been used in a different way, hasn’t yet played his best, and CSK has been missing something tactically in the close moments of the game. The coaches will have to be both patient and act quickly until Dhoni is fit enough to play.
Possible return windows and key fixtures
If things go as expected with his recovery, Dhoni could play when CSK plays Kolkata Knight Riders on April 14 in Chennai. The team has also said April 18 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and the important game against Mumbai Indians on April 23 are possible dates for his return.
The medical team will make sure Dhoni is fully healthy in the long run, rather than rushing him back, so he will only play if he passes tests on the field and the team agrees. CSK will look at how much he does in practice and how his fitness levels are before deciding to put him in the team.
Outlook for CSK and expectations from supporters
CSK can’t lose three games in a row at the beginning of the season, and the team needs to keep playing consistently while Dhoni recovers. Other players will have to start finishing games, and the other leaders will have to fill in the tactical gaps until Dhoni is back.
Fans are understandably eager for Dhoni to return, but the team seems to be taking a careful approach based on evidence. If Dhoni comes back completely fit, he could bring back balance and calm during tense times, and make CSK even more competitive in the 2026 IPL.
