Widely revered as one of the greatest captains in the history of the game, MS Dhoni has left an imprint on Indian cricket so huge that the fans are still fans of his demeanour, his power, and his calmness, no matter how tough the situation. Having retired from international cricket, Dhoni now solely competes in the IPL (Indian Premier League).
With many touting the IPL 2026 as the final season of MS Dhoniโs career, the 19th edition of the tournament has begun on a subpar note for the former India skipper. It is worth noting that Dhoni is unavailable for Chennai Super Kings for the early stages of the tournament due to a calf strain.ย
He has missed the first two games of the season and is set to miss Chennaiโs upcoming clash against RCB as well. With the clash approaching, many fans would be wondering when the last time was that Dhoni had missed an IPL game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.ย
Dhoni set to miss clash against RCB for the first time in 16 years
Notably, the last time that MS Dhoni was absent for his side in an IPL clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru was way back in 2010. Played on March 23, 2010, Chennai Super Kings took on Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Suresh Raina was the stand-in skipper in Dhoniโs absence.ย
Parthiv Patel was the wicketkeeper in that game. It has been 16 years to the day that Dhoni is once again missing a clash against RCB in the IPL. However, it is unlikely that even if Dhoni had played, he would have been able to turn CSKโs fortunes around in the last two games that they have lost.ย
The five-time champions kicked off their IPL 2026 campaign by taking on Rajasthan Royals where they were humiliated. Furthermore, Chennai then faced a loss against Punjab Kings and will hope for a better showing against RCB in Bengaluru.ย
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