'There is a good chance' - Ashwin hints at MS Dhoni playing his first IPL 2026 match against SRH

Former cricketer and MS Dhoni's teammate Ravichandran Ashwin is confident that the legendary cricketer might feature in his maiden IPL 2026 match for the Chennai Super Kings in their encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Ashwin has said the same, probably in possession of some exclusive information on Dhoni's availability ahead of the upcoming match, which is set to be played on Monday, May 18.

Dhoni has yet to play a match this season, having suffered with a calf strain right before the tournament got underway. CSK have not had the best of the campaign thus far, with the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side struggling a lot, especially with their inexperienced batting line-up in the lower-middle order. Ashwin believes that Dhoni is an excellent player of fast bowling in the death overs and is still the best within the CSK set-up. 

"Even now, if we talk about a quality pace hitter, I think it's him. Let's see. I have a feeling that against Sunrisers Hyderabad, there is a good chance of MS Dhoni playing. Let's wait and see how it goes. As far as I have heard, he has been ready to take the field for the last two-three games," Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin also dissected the plethora of injuries CSK have been dealing with in the ongoing edition. They've already had more than half a dozen injuries, including Dhoni's calf pull. The cricketer-turned-commentator has opined that it becomes because of a lack of training and putting excess body load directly during live matches. 

"I think the more you cut down on training, the higher the chances of getting injured. Some, in a bid to avoid injuries, look at hopping from match to match—that's wrong. But this is another department; it's physiotherapy and sports science. I don't think the coach and the captain can be blamed. They can't do anything," Ashwin explained.