Chennai Super Kings isn’t laying down arms yet.

Batting coach Michael Hussey’s reply when asked to give an update on M.S. Dhoni’s participation in the game and beyond indicated as much.

“I can confirm Dhoni is not here with the team, but if we do happen to qualify, he’ll definitely join back up with the squad. He’s got a bit of a sore thumb. He’s recovering nicely, but he won’t be ready for this match. If we manage to get through to the playoffs, hopefully he’ll be alright,” Hussey said on Wednesday (May 20, 2026), the eve of CSK’s do-or-die IPL 2026 fixture against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Hussey admitted that the team was frustrated after losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“It was disappointing, especially in front of our home fans. Obviously, it’s made it difficult for us to get through to the knockouts. Everyone will take lessons from it, but we’ve got to move on quickly. We were a bit flat in the dressing room. The coach (Stephen Fleming) spoke to us about having one more game and one more chance. It’s all about having the right attitude moving forward.”

GT opener Sai Sudharsan said his team’s top priority was to seal a win, adding that it will worry about the margin of victory and its Qualifier 1 chances later.

“We are not in a position to think about winning by a very big margin. It’s about doing the right things consistently.”

When asked to reflect on the win against CSK in the last meeting and the recent loss to Kolkata Knight Riders, Sai Sudharsan said: “I’m not looking at the previous games. We are not bringing in that residue or past into this match. We are trying to be as fresh as possible”.