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Chennai Super Kings will enter the Narendra Modi Stadium with hopes and prayers behind them as the side still remain alive in the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs.

This will be CSK’s final league game of the season and even a win would not guarantee them a place in the top four. The five-time champions will have to heavily depend on several other results going in their favor as well.

Meanwhile, there is a massive update regarding the legendary MS Dhoni, who is yet to feature in a single clash this season. It was widely anticipated that Dhoni could return during CSK’s last home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad a couple of days ago, but the veteran wicketkeeper-batter did not feature in that encounter either.

MS Dhoni returns to Ranchi amid injury concerns ahead of GT clash

As reported by ESPNcricinfo, Dhoni has now headed back to his hometown Ranchi due to a thumb injury. The report further added that the former CSK captain is expected to rejoin the squad only if Chennai manages to qualify for the playoffs.

Dhoni had previously suffered a calf injury ahead of the IPL 2026 season and despite showing positive signs during recovery, the injury setbacks kept delaying his return throughout the campaign. As a result, the 44-year-old did not feature in a single game this season, leaving fans disappointed over the possibility of not seeing him in action once again.

CSK’s playoff qualification scenario gets extremely complicated

CSK now find themselves in a desperate position in the tournament. The five-time champions at one stage looked comfortably placed to secure a playoff berth, but back-to-back defeats against LSG and SRH have seriously dented their qualification hopes.

Currently placed seventh on the IPL 2026 points table with six wins and seven losses from 13 matches, CSK can still keep their hopes alive with a victory in their final league clash. However, their qualification scenario remains extremely complicated.

Apart from needing a win, CSK will also require Rajasthan Royals to lose their next game. At the same time, both Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders would also need to suffer defeats in their respective matches.

Besides depending on other teams, CSK must also ensure that they stay ahead of Delhi Capitals on net run rate, making it an incredibly tricky path for the Men in Yellow.