Why Is MS Dhoni Not in CSK Playing XI Tonight for RR vs CSK IPL 2026 Match? It is a question that will be on the minds of many fans, especially since the Chennai Super Kings former skipper and stalwart misses the opening fixture of the 19th edition.
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals lock horns to open their campaign in the IPL 2026, being played at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
The question ‘Why Is MS Dhoni Not in CSK Playing XI Tonight for RR vs CSK IPL 2026 Match?’ has been trending since the toss. The answer is simple: MS Dhoni won’t be available as he is rehabbing for a calf strain and will be absent for the first two weeks of IPL 2026. The news of the same was confirmed by the CSK franchise earlier as well.
In the first two weeks, the five-time winners are slated to face Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on March 30, followed by a clash against last year’s runners-up Punjab Kings in Chennai on April 3. They will next play a high-octane southern derby against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru away on April 5, and Delhi Capitals at home on April 11. These are the four matches that MS Dhoni could miss so far, according to how things stand currently. Dhoni has also been dealing with a recurring knee problem since IPL 2023.
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CSK have already secured Sanju Samson via a sensational trade for IPL 2026 and can shoulder the wicketkeeping responsibilities. However, Sanju bats at the top and CSK will need someone to fill the void of the finishing duties.
This is where CSK’s young signing Kartik Sharma, who was acquired for a record INR 14.2 crores at the auction as a like-for-like replacement for MS Dhoni, will step in. He can also keep wicket and hit the big shots and is expected to be slotted in the middle order alongside the likes of Shivam Dube and Jamie Overton.
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Riyan Parag(c), Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma
RR Impact Subs: Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Sushant Mishra, Tushar Deshpande
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Matthew Short, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma(w), Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed
CSK Impact Subs: Sarfaraz Khan, Prashanth Veer, Rahul Chahar, Gurjapneet Singh, Ramakrishna Ghosh
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