Why MS Dhoni stays away on match days? CSK coach reveals truth and comeback plan

MS Dhoni remains an unsolved riddle in the ongoing IPL 2026 season. He has been participating in the training sessions ahead of the matches, but has yet to play his first match for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this year.

The situation around the 44-year-old turned more interesting, as he was not seen on the sideline during the matches. Why, MS Dhoni was not even on the sidelines in the previous games. Ahead of CSK’s upcoming match against their arch-rival, the Mumbai Indians (MI), the batting coach of CSK, Michael Hussey, revealed why the former skipper opted not to sit in the dugout during the matches.

CSK coach explains why MS Dhoni has been staying away from the IPL 2026 matches

Dhoni retired from international cricket back in 2020. Now, it is 2026, and still, and the craze for Mahendra Singh Dhoni remains unmatchable. Whether it is a match or any event, CSK fans are always crazy to get a glimpse of the icon.

MSD himself is well aware of his massive fan following. So to maintain all the focus on the team, Dhoni found it better to stay away from the ground. Hussey stated that the former cricketer does not want to see the focus shift from the team to him. The coach made it clear that the decision not to come into the field during the games is purely made by Dhoni himself, not by the team management.

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He's such a team-oriented guy: Michael Hussey

"He's such a team-oriented guy. He always wants what's best for the team, and he was worried that if he came, there'd be a bit too much of a distraction. Obviously, the cameras would be on him a lot. The crowd would be cheering for him and things like that,” Mike Hussey told the media ahead of the match against the Mumbai Indians.

“And he really wanted the team to just be able to go about their job, do our thing. Whether that's right or wrong, that's not my decision to sort out. But that's the thinking behind Dhoni not wanting to come to the matches,” he added further.

The former Australian batter explained that Dhoni's presence around the dressing room is priceless for the team as he is probably the best man in the squad to guide the young talents with all his wisdom and experience.

Michael Hussey explains the value of MS Dhoni for CSK

"Obviously, he's been watching very closely back home. I personally love having him around the dressing room. He offers so much wisdom. He offers so much confidence to the rest of the guys. So he's obviously at training all the time and always has a bubbly personality around training and offers a lot of his experience to the players there. But it was just a case he didn't want to see himself as a distraction to the rest of the team, and that's why he decided on game day just to sort of stay away,” the CSK batting coach said.

Ahead of the match, it was reported that the Chennai Super Kings management is yet to take a final call on MS Dhoni’s availability for their vital match against the Mumbai Indians tonight at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

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