CHENNAI: How is he shaping up? What is the status of his injury? How long before he returns to the playing XI? Is he travelling with the team? Who will he replace if he plays? Over the last eight weeks or so, such questions have been put forward in front of the Chennai Super Kings captain, coach, players and support staff every time they came for a press conference. And it is all about just one player — MS Dhoni.
Beneath all the different variations remains just one question. Will the fans — who have filled the stadiums across the country in yellow to get a glimpse of their favourite and one of, if not, the greatest white-ball skippers this country has had — get to see at least a glimpse of Dhoni before the season comes to a close?
The answer, however, is not so simple. The 44-year-old missed the first few games due to calf strain. Then there were reports of him getting better and in line to play the game against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede on April 23. Later, head coach Stephen Fleming clarified saying that he had tweaked the calf again leading to an extended delay. "The calf is a tough one," Fleming said on April 26. "If he takes off and rips the calf again, then he will be gone (for the season). So we pushed it early. In a warm-up game, he tweaked it again, is my understanding. And since then, he has been just working hard to get some movement into it," he added.
Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, earlier, had indicated how watching the youngsters do well in practice games gave Dhoni confidence after his injury setback. It also led to speculation and reports of Dhoni not playing because he does not want to take the place of a youngster and change the winning combination. Both the captain and coach, on multiple occasions, have said that he is progressing, knows his body best and they are waiting for the final word. The interesting bit about Dhoni is that he has not come to the ground for any of the matches — only 16 are allowed to enter the field. And he has been a reluctant traveller through the season. He travelled to Mumbai, even did wicket-keeping drills but did not come to the venue on match day. And the line both captain and coach have stuck to is that he is "tracking well" and should be available at some point. His teammates often had said that they have no idea as to when that might be apart from the fact that he is hitting the balls hard and long in the nets.
Truth be told, coming into the season, CSK had prepared for such a scenario. They had traded Sanju Samson for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran knowing full well that the Kerala star would fit into the team and city. He was the supposed successor of Dhoni — both in terms of fan following and behind the stumps — and has lived up to it over the last two months. And the loyal CSK fans, at least most of them, have come to terms with the transition and even acknowledged that a playing XI with Dhoni may not necessarily be their strongest.
In saying that, the craze and fandom of Dhoni remains unparalleled. Several fans travel across cities to watch a match at Chepauk in the hopes of getting a glimpse of Dhoni. Even in cities like Lucknow, fans continued to fill the stands in yellow, expecting to see their favourite super star.
As Chennai take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in a must-win game at Chepauk on Monday, anticipation among fans is at its peak. They hope, once again, to see Dhoni at his home ground, potentially for one last time. It has also brought back the former captain's statement from 2021 — "Hopefully my last T20 will be in Chennai." When asked if Dhoni, who batted for around 30 minutes in the nets, would play or even come to ground — CSK usually do a lap of honour after their last home game, thanking their fans and Dhoni has always been there for it — pacer Spencer Johnson said he did not have an idea. "I'm not sure when he's playing or I've got no idea," Johnson said on the eve of the match.
Is it his last dance? Will Dhoni come to his 'Anbu-den' to thank his fans? Or was the Roar '26 event at the start of the season the last they got to see and celebrate their demi god?
As it is often said, only MS Dhoni might have all the answers.