India, March 28 -- MS Dhoni's injury should, on the face of it, be read as bad news for Chennai Super Kings. He is still the franchise's emotional centre, still their biggest name, and still the player who can make a tense finish feel manageable merely by being there. But IPL teams are not built on emotion alone, and CSK's 2026 squad looks like one that may actually become more coherent if it is forced to move without him for a while. MS Dhoni will miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026 because of a calf strain, with the 44-year-old currently undergoing rehabilitation.

This is the central point. CSK's current squad does not look like one built to depend on Dhoni's presence in every game. The squad already includes Sanju Samson, Urvil Patel...