New Delhi: MS Dhoni So far, has not appeared in IPL 2026 matches. Fans are eagerly awaiting their superstar’s return to action. He has been nursing a calf strain sustained before the start of the match late last month and fans are looking forward to Chennai Super Kings’ match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.The day before the game, Dhoni The entire stadium lit up and photographers, ground crew and staff got to see his lighter side. He was seen playing with the robot dog “Champak” during training at Wankhede Stadium.Dhoni, who led CSK to five IPL titles, had an intense training session on Tuesday in which he kept wickets and later took batting practice in the nets.On Wednesday, he practiced briefly and then rested for nearly an hour before returning to face the specialist bowlers and fast bowlers.After the meeting, Dhoni, who is known to be a dog lover, was spotted playing with the AI-powered IPL robot dog and spent some time interacting with it.He tried to get the robot to imitate his gestures, although sometimes it failed to respond.CSK has won just two out of six matches in IPL 2026 so far, including a 10-match loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and is currently eighth in the points table.Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin believes Dhoni is likely to feature against Mumbai Indians.Ashwin said on his YouTube channel that Dhoni’s participation in training shows that he can take on the wicketkeeping duties, possibly replacing Sanju Samson, or be used as an impact player.Ashwin expressed confidence in Dhoni’s fitness and readiness, adding that his experience and finishing ability will be crucial for CSK, especially after they struggled to close out the game.He emphasized that Dhoni’s powerful knocks in the death overs made him a key asset in tense situations.Dhoni took his wicketkeeping debut in IPL 2026 on Tuesday at the Wankhede Stadium. The 44-year-old missed CSK’s first six games due to a calf strain.“I have never seen MS Dhoni keep wickets in the nets. This means he will replace (Sanju) Samson. Or he may be used as an impact player. I am 100% sure that he will play (against Mumbai Indians). I heard he is fit enough to continue playing,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat.“Against SRH, CSK were found to lack the ability to finish the game. So, if you need 15 off 5 overs, Dhoni can do the job. He can bowl 6 off the end,” Ashwin added.
