MS Dhoni does range hitting even as Gaikwad remains non-committal on his return timeline

Chennai Super Kings wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni was seen batting in the nets during the team’s practice session ahead of its IPL 2026 clash against Punjab Kings here at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.

Dhoni, who was initially ruled out of the first two weeks of the tournament with a calf strain, was initially pictured training by broadcasters on Wednesday night.

He then joined the team early in its practice session on Thursday on the main ground but did not train initially and instead walked around to talk to various members of the squad.

Also read | The more games CSK batters get, the better they will become — Gaikwad

However, the 45-year-old appeared padded up towards the end of the session and took only throwdowns for close to half-an-hour alongside Urvil Patel. The CSK legend was initially in slightly scratchy touch but found his range soon enough to send a number of large blows several rows back into the stands.

Earlier in the day, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad remained non-committal when asked about the timeline for Dhoni’s return, saying he would be able to answer “just when the 13th day is done” in relation to Dhoni’s progress after an original 14-day prognosis.

Published on Apr 02, 2026