MS Dhoni fails to make single appearance at Chepauk, remains sidelined for CSK-SRH clash

MS Dhoni remained confined to the sidelines as Chennai Super Kings won the toss and elected to bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final home game of the ongoing Indian Premier League. The development means that Dhoni has missed all home games for CSK for the first time in the history of the Chennai Super Kings.

"He's still here, but he's not fit enough to play this game. Hopefully we win this one and you'll have a low in the last game," captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said during toss at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, much to the disappointment of the yellow-clad, whistle-blasting fans.

Dhoni has not played any competitive match since the away clash against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on 25 May last year, which the Super Kings had won by 83 runs. The former India and CSK captain's last appearance at Chepauk had occurred nearly a month before the GT clash – in the fourth-wicket loss against Punjab Kings on 30 April.

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Interestingly, CSK are scheduled to play their final league match at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium for the second year running, with the match set to take place on Thursday, 21 May. Depending on where they finish on the table, it remains to be seen whether 'Thala' finally makes his long-awaited comeback three days from now or ends up missing the entire season, which will be unprecedented in CSK's storied history.

Chennai bring Akeal back for Gurjapneet

Gaikwad announced just one change during toss, with West Indian left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein coming in for left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh. The Sunrisers, meanwhile, announced an unchanged lineup despite suffering a heavy defeat against Gujarat Titans in their previous game after getting bowled out for just 86.

Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings will be hoping to keep their slim playoff hopes alive by signing off from Chepauk on a winning note. Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, will secure their top-four finish and also help GT qualify if they beat the 'Yellow Army' later on Monday.

CSK vs SRH, IPL 2026 Playing XIs

Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson(wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Spencer Johnson.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge.