Chennai, May 1 — Chennai Super Kings batting coach Michael Hussey said former captain MS Dhoni’s recovery from a calf injury is progressing well and that the 42-year-old could return to action soon, with fans across the city eager to see him back in IPL 2026. Dhoni has been sidelined for three weeks after sustaining the injury ahead of the season.
Hussey said the focus during Dhoni’s rehabilitation has been on regaining speed between the wickets. “Hopefully he’ll be back as soon as possible. I don’t know if it’s tomorrow or it’s maybe the next match after that, but he’s progressing really well,” he told reporters ahead of CSK’s match against Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.
From a skills standpoint, Hussey said the team has full confidence in Dhoni’s batting and wicketkeeping. The main concern has been his ability to sustain running power late in an innings. “I know he’s been upping his running speeds and that was probably the sticking point. I think we’re very confident from a skill perspective with his batting and his wicketkeeping. But it was just making sure that he could maintain good running power, particularly towards the back end of an inning,” Hussey explained.
Hussey stressed that the final decision to play will be Dhoni’s. “Once he feels confident in his calf, I’m sure he’ll give the signal that he’s ready to go. At the moment, we’re guided by him. We’re waiting. I think all of Chennai is waiting,” he said.
Dhoni has not been present in CSK’s dugout on match days, a choice Hussey said was made to avoid distracting the team. With IPL rules limiting dressing-room presence to about 18–20 players, some teams keep sidelined players at the hotel. “He’s such a team-orientated guy… he was worried that if he came, there’d be a bit too much of a distraction. Obviously, the cameras would be on him a lot. The crowd would be cheering for him,” Hussey said.
Despite staying away from match-day proceedings, Hussey praised Dhoni’s contribution at training and around the squad. “I personally love having him around the dressing room. He offers so much wisdom and confidence to the rest of the guys… he’s obviously at training all the time and always a bubbly personality,” Hussey concluded, noting Dhoni has been watching matches closely from home while the team awaits his return.
Original Source: https://tripurachronicle.in/sports-news/ipl-2026-dhoni-will-be-back-soon-all-of-chennai-is-waiting-says-csk-batting-coach-hussey/
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Publish Date: 2026-05-01 20:35:00
