Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings to decide Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni fitness on matchday

Both Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are recovering from injuries ahead of their crucial IPL 2026 showdown.

Injury updates for key players Rohit Sharma is still nursing a hamstring issue while MS Dhoni has a calf niggle. Both players took part in net sessions at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday evening, with their respective teams training side by side. Dhoni even donned the gloves during a Tuesday evening session, marking his second consecutive away trip with the team. While Rohit missed the last two games for Mumbai Indians, Dhoni remains untested in IPL 2026 so far. ## Dhoni's net session routine Dhoni was the first to arrive at the nets on Wednesday, beginning with light jogging alongside CSK physiotherapist Tommy Simsek before pausing to observe his teammates bat. He then geared up and started with tennis ball drills outside the nets before stepping in to face bowlers Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Aman Khan, and Zak Foulkes. After roughly 20 minutes, he took a break and wrapped up his session with throwdowns, hitting several balls beyond the boundary rope. ## CSK's batting lineup adjustments Chennai Super Kings will need to reshuffle their top order for Thursday’s game regardless of Dhoni’s availability, as their leading run-scorer this season, 18-year-old Ayush Mhatre, has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a hamstring strain. One potential replacement is Gujarat wicketkeeper-batter Urvil Patel at the top of the order. If Dhoni is deemed fit, CSK could deploy him as an Impact Player—similar to how they used Mhatre—which would push the middle-order batters behind openers Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad up one spot until Dhoni’s arrival at the crease. ## Dhoni's role in CSK's strategy CSK bowling coach Eric Simons highlighted Dhoni’s enduring influence in the dressing room, stating, 'A person like MS never really goes away. He's always a presence. He's always there. He's always a resource for us. He's always someone we bounce off and get ideas and thoughts about.' Simons added that Dhoni has contributed significantly to their death-overs tactics, offering insights and perspectives that remain valuable. ## Rohit's limited net activity Rohit Sharma began his training with light jogging before donning pads for a session. Unlike Dhoni, he only faced throwdowns from both right-arm and left-arm bowlers, avoiding aggressive hitting during his 25-minute stint. ## Teams' struggles in IPL 2026 Both Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are placed in the lower half of the points table after disappointing starts to their campaigns. Mumbai Indians have managed just two wins from six matches, ending a four-game losing streak with Monday’s victory over Gujarat Titans. Chennai Super Kings took a contrasting path to the same tally, losing their first three games before winning two in a row, only to fall in their most recent fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad.