Why is MS Dhoni not playing for CSK vs RR in IPL 2026 clash in Guwahati?
A Chennai Super Kings playing XI without MS Dhoni is rare, extremely rare but we will have to get used to it now. That's what has happened in the RR vs CSK clash as the 45-year-old veteran has missed the clash at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. Here's why Dhoni is not playing today:
Chennai Super Kings opened their campaign today in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season against the Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. However, they didn't have the 45-year-old veteran and an ever-present MS Dhoni in their playing XI, leaving many fans surprised. The main reason for Dhoni's absence from the XI is his calf injury, due to which he has been ruled out of action for the first two weeks of the season.
This is indeed a massive blow for the five-time champions as Dhoni's experience will be missed in the middle. Sanju Samson will take up the wicketkeeping gloves in his absence and will also open the innings alongside skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Rajasthan Royals won toss and opt to bowl
Meanwhile, the Royals skipper Riyan Parag won the toss and opted to bowl first with the rain around in Guwahati. He had no hesitation in doing so and said, "There's been a lot of rain here actually. So even though it is a red soil wicket, it's going to be a little moisture. So we want to try and extract that in the first few overs and then see how we go back into the game. (On leading RR) It feels nice. It feels very overwhelming. I've been with this franchise for eight years now. And then seeing the transition that has happened from me being a 17-year-old to being here as captain, I feel the support has been incredible.
"All my peers have been really supportive and very helping towards me. So hopefully a good campaign for us. I think the goal is to win the championship. With the trades and the auction, I think what we've tried to do is have a lot of smart cricketers, a lot of all-rounders and people who have different skills, so that when we get conditions like this or a flat wicket in Mumbai or a green top in Kolkata, we can adapt and play accordingly. So that's the plan."
Even Gaikwad admitted that he wanted to bowl first as the pitch was under the covers for so long in the lead up to the clash. "It was a no-brainer to bowl first actually. The wicket has been under the covers for a long time now, with overcast conditions as well, so we would have loved to bowl first, but neverheless, we'll look to start positively," he said.
Playing XIs
Rajasthan Royals: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (capt), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Ayush Mhatre, Matt Short, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed