Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni available for the MI vs CSK IPL 2026 match? Check details

On April 23, 2026, a new chapter in the Indian Premier League's greatest rivalry is set to be written when two 5-time champions will collide. On one side will be the Mumbai Indians, and on the other, the Chennai Super Kings. However, neither team currently knows whether their respective leaders will be able to take the field for this match. Mumbai Indians' former captain, Rohit Sharma—after playing in the first four matches—was forced to retire hurt against RCB due to a hamstring injury and has since missed the last two fixtures; meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings' MS Dhoni has also been unable to participate in the IPL so far due to a calf strain.

Although both were featured in the net sessions, they are yet to be officially cleared for availability in the MI vs CSK IPL 2026 match on Thursday. The first leg of the IPL 2026 “El Clásico” will be played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, but it is still unclear whether they will feature in the match. 

According to reports, the final decision regarding Rohit Sharma's participation will be taken at the toss time. Rohit, however, appears to be fully fit and is not experiencing any discomfort whatsoever. It remains to be seen whether the management decides to include Rohit in the squad for this marquee clash. In Rohit's absence, Quinton de Kock and Danish Malewal were given opportunities in the last two matches. If Rohit makes a comeback, it will be interesting to see who makes way for him in the Playing XI. Mumbai defeated GT by 99 runs in their previous match, but they have continued to face issues regarding the opening slot.

On the other hand, MS Dhoni continues to focus on his recovery. Over the past few days, Dhoni has been constantly travelling with the team. Videos of his batting consistently suggest that the former Indian captain will soon be seen back on the field. According to a recent update, MS Dhoni even performed wicketkeeping duties, faced throwdown specialists and fast bowlers during net sessions at Wankhede Stadium. However, regarding Dhoni's availability, bowling coach Eric Simmons stated that everything depends on how Dhoni is feeling and what the medical staff has to say regarding his recovery.

CSK is clearly feeling the absence of Dhoni. In the previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad—a game they had all but won—the Chennai team failed to finish the match effectively and ended up losing by 10 runs. At that moment, every CSK fan was missing Dhoni. Dhoni is regarded as one of the greatest match-finishers in the history of cricket, and CSK has found itself in dire need of its premier finisher.

If both Rohit and MS Dhoni are available for the match, the fans' excitement for this game will be doubled. Fans are eagerly waiting to see these two together on the field. The last time they were seen together was in the T20 World Cup 2026 Final, where they both witnessed India becoming World champions.