Sunil Gavaskar Tells MS Dhoni Not To Play Against SRH, Even If Fit. Here’s Why

Ahead of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) match towards Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar mentioned that having MS Dhoni characteristic within the match may very well be a “gamble”, including that the wicketkeeper-batter wouldn’t prefer to take such a danger at this stage, having missed your entire season on account of calf pressure. Dhoni, who was dominated out for 2 weeks on account of a calf pressure earlier than the season, has not proven up your entire season and has not featured in any aggressive cricket for a yr as an IPL-exclusive participant. With CSK having two matches towards SRH and later GT as essential to their playoff possibilities, it might be attention-grabbing to see if Dhoni comes into the enjoying XI or doesn’t disturb the mixture in any respect.

Speaking on Star Sports ‘Cricket Live’, Gavaskar mentioned that for such an vital conflict, CSK will want gamers who’ve been match match and performed persistently as of late and with Dhoni as a “team man”, he wouldn’t take the danger of disturbing a mixture which has produced some stable success for CSK this season.

“The match against SRH is a crucial one for CSK. It’s their last home game at Chepauk, so naturally, fans want to see MS Dhoni play. But he has not featured at all this season. In fact, he has not played competitive cricket for over a year. So, I doubt he would want to take such a risk at this stage. You need players who have been match-fit and playing regularly for the last six weeks. Dhoni is a complete team man. I don’t think he would want to disrupt the current combination,” he mentioned.

“I would be very surprised if he plays against SRH. This is a must-win game for CSK. A victory keeps them alive in the playoff race. They have to win this match at all costs, and bringing in a player who has not played in over a year could be a gamble,” he signed off.

As per ESPNCricinfo, Dhoni skilled on Sunday for 30-40 minutes, dealing with throwdowns and spinners.

In 278 IPL matches, Dhoni has made 5,439 runs in 242 innings at a median of 38.30 and a strike charge of 137.45, together with 24 fifties and a finest rating of 84*. He is the seventh-highest run getter within the match historical past. In final season’s wood spoon end, Dhoni scored 196 runs in 13 innings at a median of 24.50 and a strike charge of over 135, with a finest rating of 30*.

Dhoni was retained by the Super Kings as an “uncapped player” for Rs 4 crore forward of IPL 2025, and this retention was prolonged for IPL 2026, conserving his wage unchanged at Rs 4 crore.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)

Featured Video Of The Day

IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer third Loss