Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], May 22 (ANI): Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowling coach Eric Simons said that while MS Dhoni has not played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season due to a calf injury, the 44-year-old has been batting well in the nets. Simons said Dhoni has been hitting the balls in the nets 'as well as I've ever seen him hit it'.

CSK bowed out of the IPL 2026 with a loss against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in both teams' last group-stage match on Thursday. CSK faced a massive 89-run defeat in Ahmedabad.

Notably, CSK have missed the services of the man who led the team to record five IPL title wins- MS Dhoni, who has missed the entire season owing to a calf injury.

Speaking about if fans will get to see MS Dhoni bat in the next season of the IPL, CSK bowling coach said the former CSK captain is still striking the ball brilliantly in the nets despite dealing with a leg injury that has limited his running. Simons added that only Dhoni will decide on his IPL future, and that the veteran will make the call based on what is best for the team rather than personal reasons. Simons also noted that if Dhoni plays, it would be great to have him around the camp.

'He has hit the ball so well. He obviously had a leg injury which made it very difficult for him to run. So, that's why he couldn't play. But in terms of hitting the ball in the nets, he's hitting it as well as I've ever seen him hit it. But I keep saying this, only MS will know and MS will make the decision about when he's ready and when he's right. And I tell you what, if he knows he's not, he won't play, but if he is right, he will. He'll make the decision in the best interest of the team and not for himself as an individual. But, it would be great to have him playing. It's been great just having around the unit,' Eric Simons said in the post-match press conference after the GT vs CSK clash.

Since winning the IPL title in 2023, the Chennai Super Kings have now failed to qualify for the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, having been eliminated in the group stage each time.

Despite being eliminated from IPL 2026, Simons said the team gained valuable clarity about its balance, combinations, and players during the season. He added that understanding the squad better will help the franchise make more strategic decisions in different conditions going forward.

'I think, I think a lot of the positives come around the fact that we started getting an understanding of ourselves as a unit. I think that's an important part of winning an IPL is that you get your balance right and you have a side that can carry itself through and your changes are made long way before the game, not because someone's out of form, but because you're moving into a particular condition. So we know ourselves a lot better as a unit and we also know a lot of the individuals better as what they can and can't do.'

Simons praised emerging players like Kartik Tyagi (295 runs in 11 innings in IPL 2026) and Urvil Patel (129 runs in seven innings, including a 13-ball fifty) for impressing this season, adding that Chennai Super Kings now have a much clearer understanding of their squad and its strengths moving forward.

'Someone like Kartik has come along magnificently this season. We know what he's about. Urvil, we know what he's about. We've come away from this tournament understanding ourselves as a unit better and that stands us in good stead,' the CSK bowling coach said. (ANI)