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Chennai Super Kings batting coach Michael Hussey firmly stated on Thursday that MS Dhoni will reclaim his role as wicketkeeper upon recovery from his calf strain, ruling out any stint as a specialist batter under the Impact Player rule.
The 44-year-old icon has now sat out his seventh consecutive IPL 2026 match, including Thursday's showdown against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, as he rehabs the injury that sidelined him for an initial two-week period.
What is the Latest on MS Dhoni?
Speculation had swirled about Dhoni slotting in purely as a batter, given backup keepers like Sanju Samson and Kartik Sharma. Hussey shut that down, emphasizing Dhoni's dual role. "Oh, I'm pretty sure he'll be behind the stumps. The biggest thing for him is that he's had the calf injury, it's
just the running and late in innings, if he comes in, having to scamper those ones and twos, he just needs to make sure the calf is strong enough to withstand that," Hussey told the broadcaster in a mid-match chat.
"But certainly from a skill perspective, we know what he can do as a keeper. We know he's batting, he's batting really well, so it's just hopefully getting that confidence in the calf," he added.
Dhoni's prolonged absence has dominated CSK chatter, with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad noting the gap at the toss before the MI game: "all thanks to the legend (Dhoni) who is not here unfortunately," amid roaring crowd cheers. Despite exceeding the expected recovery window, Dhoni showed promise by wicketkeeping in nets the day before the match-his first such session this season-yet stayed on the bench, missing half of CSK's fixtures so far.
Hussey shared a positive update, stressing caution. "Yeah, he's progressing really well. I know he's pushing hard to get back as quickly as he possibly can. I know all the fans want to see MS Dhoni out there playing as well. So we're hopeful maybe in the next few games. We want him back as quickly as he possibly can as well," he said.
"But obviously he needs to be close to 100 per cent ready to give his best. Because he's been batting well on the nets. He looks good in the nets. Just needs to run hard between the wickets too," Hussey concluded.
CSK gear up for Gujarat Titans in Chennai on Sunday, with fans eagerly awaiting Dhoni's full comeback.
