Sunil Gavaskar: MS Dhoni unlikely to make Super Kings comeback against Sunrisers

Dhoni has not played throughout the campaign due to calf and ankle-related fitness issues and has been out of competitive cricket for over a year.

The anticipation around a possible comeback has intensified as CSK's playoff situation becomes increasingly precarious.

With the franchise sitting on 12 points, they must continue winning their remaining fixtures to stay in contention, and another defeat would severely damage or effectively end their qualification hopes.

That pressure has fuelled discussion among supporters about whether Dhoni could return for what would be CSK's final home fixture of the season.

However, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has moved to temper expectations, offering a more cautious assessment of the situation.

Speaking on the Star Sports programme Amul Cricket Live, Gavaskar suggested that reintroducing Dhoni at such a critical stage would be difficult, particularly given concerns over disrupting the team's balance in a must-win match.

He argued that CSK's current circumstances make it unlikely that a player lacking full match readiness would be brought straight back into action.

"The match against SRH is a crucial one for CSK. It's their last home game at Chepauk, so naturally fans want to see MS Dhoni play," Gavaskar said.

"But he hasn't featured at all this season. In fact, he hasn't played competitive cricket for over a year. So, I doubt he would want to take such a risk at this stage.

"You need players who have been match-fit and playing regularly for the last six weeks.

“Dhoni is a complete team-man. I don't think he would want to disrupt the current combination.”