Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 1 (ANI): Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Michael Hussey on Friday explained that MS Dhoni deliberately chose not to attend CSK Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 matches because he didn't want to become a distraction for the team.

Hussey said Dhoni was concerned that the attention, crowd reaction, and cameras would shift focus away from the team's performance, and he preferred the players to carry out their work without added external pressure.

Dhoni, who injured his calf muscle during the pre-season camp, hasn't featured in a single match yet for CSK in the ongoing IPL.

Hussey was speaking to the reporters on the eve of CSK's high-voltage clash against the Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

'He's such a team-oriented guy, MS Dhoni. He always wants what's best for the team, and he was worried that if he came, there'd be a bit too much of a distraction. Obviously, the cameras would be on him a lot. The crowd would be cheering for him and things like that. And he really wanted the team to just be able to go about their job, do our thing. Whether that's right or wrong, that's not my decision to sort of make, but that's the thinking behind with Dhoni not wanting to come to the matches,' Hussey said.

Despite being with CSK since March and regularly featuring in practice games and net sessions, widely shared on social media, Dhoni has yet to make an appearance in any of the team's matches so far.

Hussey also shed light on Dhoni's comeback, saying he is progressing well in his recovery and could return soon, possibly in the next match or shortly after. He noted that the main concern has been ensuring Dhoni's calf recovery. Hussey noted that Dhoni's batting and wicketkeeping skills are not in doubt, but his return depends on him regaining full confidence in his fitness before getting the green light to play.

'Hopefully, he'll be back as soon as possible. I don't know if it's tomorrow or maybe the next match after that, but he's progressing really well. I know he's been upping his running speeds, and that was probably the sticking point. I think we're very confident from a skill perspective with his batting and his wicketkeeping, but it was just making sure that he could maintain good running power, particularly towards the back end of an inning, where he's going to have to scan for those and twos. So as soon as he's got the confidence in his calf, then I'm sure he'll give it the tick to be ready to go,' Hussey added. (ANI)