Dhoni Is 'Absolutely Ready' — Badrinath Wants Samson as Captain Instead

On Monday, two days before the biggest fixture of IPL 2026's first half, MS Dhoni walked onto the Wankhede outfield for the most intense training session of his rehabilitation. He kept wickets for 40 minutes. Then he padded up and batted for nearly an hour — first against CSK's own bowlers, then throwdowns from the coaching staff. No visible discomfort. No protective strapping. Just a 44-year-old moving with the quiet authority of someone who's done this 267 times before.

CSK bowling coach Eric Simons was asked the question everyone in Indian cricket wanted answered: will Dhoni play?

Dhoni hasn't played since missing the season opener with a calf strain. Six matches. Zero appearances. In his absence, CSK have stumbled to two wins and four losses, sinking to eighth on the table with just four points. The same four points as their opponents tonight — seventh-placed Mumbai Indians.

The calf strain was supposed to keep him out for two to three weeks. It's been nearly four. Whether the delay was purely medical or partly tactical — preserving Dhoni for the business end of the tournament — Simons' statement leaves no room for ambiguity. The body is ready. The final call, as always, rests with Dhoni himself.

If he plays, expect the impact player slot. Sanju Samson has owned the gloves since day one and done it brilliantly — 197 runs at a strike rate north of 150. Dhoni walks in as the designated finisher, unburdened by keeping duties, loaded into the death overs like the last bullet in the chamber.

While the Dhoni return dominated the headlines, former CSK batter S Badrinath quietly detonated the bigger bomb. Speaking on SportsTak, Badrinath — not some random panelist, but a man who shared the CSK dressing room for years — called for Ruturaj Gaikwad to be stripped of the captaincy and replaced by Sanju Samson.

It's not a wild take when you see the numbers. Gaikwad has managed 28 runs in six innings this season. Average: 13.67. Strike rate: 112.33. That's not a rough patch — that's a coma. Four of those innings ended inside 15 balls. The captain of Chennai Super Kings is getting out before the powerplay ends, every single time.

Badrinath's argument is simple: the captaincy burden is crushing Gaikwad's batting, and Samson — calm, experienced, and in spectacular form — is the obvious replacement.

If Badrinath wants Samson to captain CSK, it's worth hearing what Samson himself thinks about the franchise's DNA. In a recent interview, the man who left Rajasthan Royals for Chennai explained what makes CSK different — and he traced it all back to one person.

That quote matters more than it looks. Dhoni hasn't played a single game this season, yet Samson says his presence permeates the entire franchise. That's not nostalgia — that's operational influence. Dhoni may not be the captain on the team sheet, but he's the one making field adjustments, talking to bowlers, and running the engine from the sidelines.

Badrinath sees it too. Speaking about Dhoni's non-playing influence, he noted: "Look at these visuals — this is MS Dhoni. Those small adjustments, some conversation with the bowlers. Even though Ruturaj Gaikwad is the captain, he still has some control over the proceedings. That's where his value is."

So the situation at CSK heading into the Wankhede is this: a 44-year-old who hasn't played all season controls the dressing room culture; a trade acquisition from RR is the best player on the team; and the actual captain can't buy a run. No wonder Badrinath wants the hierarchy reshuffled.

Mumbai Indians have their own returning-legend drama. Rohit Sharma has missed the last two matches with a hamstring injury — the one he picked up against RCB on April 12 when he retired hurt. MI captain Hardik Pandya confirmed he'd miss "2-3 games," and the timeline puts a potential return right at tonight's fixture.

The thing is, MI might not need him just yet. Tilak Varma's extraordinary 101* off 45 balls against Gujarat Titans ended a four-match losing streak and showed Mumbai they have firepower beyond the old guard. Ashwani Kumar's 4/24 in the same game added depth to the bowling. Bumrah is back among the wickets. The machine is starting to hum.

Both teams sit on four points. Only net run rate separates seventh (MI) from eighth (CSK). The Wankhede pitch is flat, fast, and begging for 200-plus totals. The crowd will be deafening. And somewhere in that stadium, Dhoni will either walk out to bat for the first time this season — or sit in the dugout pulling strings like he always does.

The MI vs CSK rivalry has never needed a narrative boost. But this edition at the Wankhede carries unusual weight: two fallen champions, two injured legends on the verge of return, a captaincy crisis at one end, and a selection dilemma at the other.

If Dhoni walks out tonight and CSK win, the Badrinath debate evaporates — at least for a week. If Gaikwad fails again and CSK lose, the captaincy conversation moves from pundit shows to the CSK boardroom. Either way, the Indian Classico delivers. It always does.