It seems home fans would have to wait longer for the much-anticipated return of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) talisman Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
“He’s progressing well. He’s on the road to recovery and doing everything that’s being asked of him,” head coach Stephen Fleming informed the media on Saturday ahead of the game against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. The wicketkeeper-batter is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain.
Ayush Mhatre, who had been chipping in with valuable runs at No. 3, also picked up a hamstring injury during the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18 and has since been ruled out of the tournament.
While Urvil Patel could be considered a potential candidate to take up the India Under-19 captain’s role in the eleven, Fleming feels CSK is doing just fine. “Urvil Patel, who’s still itching to get a game, is quality as well. I know there’s been some commentary around him. But we’re lucky to have some quality aggressive players at the top, so the urgency to get a replacement is not necessarily there. We are looking, but we just don’t need to rush that at this point.”
Sarfaraz Khan had been promoted to No. 3 in CSK’s last fixture against Mumbai Indians.
CSK, fifth, is not where it would ideally want to be at this stage of the competition. With three wins, four losses, and six points from seven games, it is anybody’s guess that skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s form—currently averaging 14.86 with the bat—and captaincy skills have become a major talking point.
Fleming, however, isn’t the least bit concerned. “(For) Rutu, I have nothing but support. He’s a quality player and a young captain who’s working himself into the role and doing a good job. I know he’s getting a lot of heat from outside, but within, he’s got a lot of support, and he’s very well respected within the side. That will continue,” he said.
Although the match will be played on a wicket almost equidistant from either of the square boundaries, Fleming feels the batters don’t have much to worry about, given how the T20 format has evolved to favour their kind.
He said, “My understanding is the wicket is pretty much in the middle tomorrow, and the sides are some of the longer boundaries in the competition. We’re aware that we’ve got a little bit more distance to work with. But the power of the batters these days... It’s still not long enough.”
GT, having played a game at Bengaluru the previous night, didn’t host a press conference.
Published on Apr 25, 2026