MS Dhoni and Sanju Samson (Image credit: CSK/IPL)
Chennai Super Kings have suffered a major blow after their legendary player MS Dhoni was ruled out for the first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to a calf strain.“MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation due to a calf injury.
As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026.
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Soon after Dhoni’s omission, former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, who has also represented CSK in the past, picked his strongest XI with Impact Player options for the five-time champions.Ashwin picked Sanju Samson as the wicket-keeper batsman and also named him as an opener alongside captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.
The former CSK player has placed three strikers in the following positions – Orvil Patel at number three, Dewald Preves at number four, followed by India T20 World Cup 2026 all-rounder Shivam Dube at number five.Ashwin has presented two options for the No.6 spot – Sarfaraz Khan as his first choice, with India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Aayush Mhatre as an alternative. He overlooked Prashant Veer and picked Kartik Sharma for the No.7 position.
In the bowling department, Ashwin picked Akhil Hossain and Noor Ahmed as the key players, with Hossain also providing batting depth at No. 8.For the rushing attack, he went with Matt Henry and Khalil Ahmed. Ashwin also listed four options for Impact Player – Anshul Kamboj, Shreyas Gopal, Ramakrishna Ghosh and Rahul Chahar.
Ashwin’s CSK playing XI:Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Orville Patel, Dewald Preves, Shivam Dubey, Sarfaraz Khan/Aayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Akhil Hussain, Noor Ahmed, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed.Impact player: Anshul Kamboj/Shreyas Gopal/Ramakrishna Ghosh/Rahul ChaharCSK will start their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 at the Baraspara Stadium in Guwahati.
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Who do you think should replace MS Dhoni as captain for the first two weeks?
The 19th edition of the tournament is set to begin on Saturday, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosting Sunrise Hyderabad in the opening match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.