{"id":10991,"date":"2026-04-11T14:13:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T14:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/?p=10991"},"modified":"2026-04-11T14:13:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T14:13:13","slug":"130193350-cms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/?p=10991","title":{"rendered":"IPL 2026 | When will MS Dhoni return? Ruturaj Gaikwad provides big update, says &#8216;for those asking &#8230; &#8216; | Cricket News &#8211; The Times of India"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130193344,imgsize-51568,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/dhoni-1104-ipl.jpg\" alt=\"IPL 2026 | When will MS Dhoni return? Ruturaj Gaikwad provides big update, says 'for those asking ... '\" title=\"MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI\/IPL) \" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI\/IPL) \">MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI\/IPL) <\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>NEW DELHI: When will <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/ms-dhoni\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\">MS Dhoni<\/a> return? When will he play his next game? When will he be back in a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/chennai-super-kings\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\">Chennai Super Kings<\/a> jersey? The questions keep mounting every time CSK take the field.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"5\"\/><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/dhoni\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\">Dhoni<\/a> was ruled out for two weeks just ahead of the team\u2019s opening match of the season. <!-- -->However, there is still no clarity over his return, with the veteran yet to feature this season due to a calf strain.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>All eyes were on CSK captain <!-- -->Ruturaj Gaikwad<!-- --> when he walked out for the toss at a packed MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, with fans eagerly waiting for an update on Dhoni.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel won the toss and opted to field.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"16\"\/>&#8220;We would like to bowl first because the pitch looks good, and whatever score is set, we would prefer to chase it. <!-- -->The IPL is a long tournament and the dressing room atmosphere is very relaxed. The discussion has been around focusing on what we can control, once we reach a certain point, there\u2019s no need to overthink things. So that\u2019s been the mindset, control what\u2019s in our hands. The mood is good. If you look at the balance of our side, we have almost all bases covered,&#8221; Axar said at the toss.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>&#8220;Obviously, based on the options we had, I think we\u2019ve picked a very good combination. Compared to last year, the team looks more balanced and hopefully, we perform well today. As for the surface, it has been a good batting wicket this season. Over the last couple of years in Chennai, it has played well. It\u2019s a red soil pitch, so there should be good bounce. Our aim will be to restrict them to as low a total as possible and then chase it down.<!-- --> There are two changes. Nabi comes in for Vipraj, and Ashutosh Sharma replaces Nitish Rana,&#8221; he added.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/>When Ruturaj took the mic, the CSK fans greeted him with a loud roar. Ravi Shastri quizzed him on the toss, team combination, and the big question around Dhoni.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"29\"\/>&#8220;The pitch does look a bit on the drier side. We were actually 50-50 about the toss, but it\u2019s good to back ourselves. The aim is to put our best foot forward today, get that first win and get on the points table. That\u2019s what we\u2019ve been trying over the last couple of games as well,&#8221; Ruturaj said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"32\"\/>&#8220;Like I mentioned in the press conference, we\u2019ve been improving in all departments. The batting has been doing really well, it\u2019s just a few key moments where we\u2019ve missed out, and those are the areas we need to capitalise on. But overall, everyone is in a good space and really eager to go. When you look at the balance of the side, we are definitely playing to our potential. It\u2019s great to have Brevis back, he\u2019s excited and ready.<!-- --> The middle order looks solid as well. We\u2019ve also brought in Gurjapneet Singh, who has been bowling well recently, in place of Matt Edwards,&#8221; he said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"36\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"38\"\/>&#8220;For those asking about MS Dhoni, he\u2019s at the hotel watching and supporting us. But yes, very soon, you\u2019ll see him out on the ground,&#8221; he added.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/><span class=\"strong\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">Teams:<\/span><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"42\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"43\"\/>Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Khaleel Ahmed<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"45\"\/>Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul(w), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel(c), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Auqib Nabi Dar, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"47\"\/>Here are the Impact substitutes for both the teams:<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"49\"\/>Delhi Capitals Impact Subs: Vipraj Nigam, Ashutosh Sharma, Karun Nair, Dushmantha Chameera, Nitish Rana<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"51\"\/>Chennai Super Kings Impact Subs: Matthew Short, Akeal Hosein, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Matt Henry<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"53\"\/><\/div>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/cricket\/ipl\/top-stories\/when-will-ms-dhoni-return-ruturaj-gaikwad-provides-big-update-says-for-those-asking-\/articleshow\/130193350.cms\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI\/IPL) NEW DELHI: When will MS Dhoni return? When will he&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10992,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2339,10812,17738,10811,2337,17056],"class_list":["post-10991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-chennai-super-kings","tag-csk","tag-delhi-capitals","tag-dhoni","tag-ms-dhoni","tag-ruturaj-gaikwad"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10991"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10991\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}