If there was ever a perfect time for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to make his grand entry to IPL 2026, Saturday’s game against Sunrisers Hyderabad would be the one.
Yes, the game is in Hyderabad and not in Chennai, where a sea of yellow would have extended its warmest welcome to their beloved ‘Thala’. But so what? The time is perfect for ‘Mr IPL’ because his team, the Chennai Super Kings, have just begun to spread its wings after three faulty take-offs.
There is talk that Dhoni might play on Saturday as an Impact Player.
Chennai began the season with a hat-trick of losses. But with wins over Delhi Capitals and the Kolkata Knight Riders, the five-time champions seem to have turned their campaign around.
A lot of that success could be attributed to their batting attack, especially Sanju Samson, coming good. Samson stumbled in the first three games for his new team. As he rediscovered his touch, with knocks of 115 not out and 48, Chennai are looking a different beast.
Will they be the favourites then for Saturday’s contest? Perhaps not. Sunrisers are on a high, having brought down the mighty Rajasthan Royals in their last game.
And that confidence, plus playing on their home ground, does count.
It’s no secret that batting is the Sunrisers’ strength, though their double dynamites at the start — Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head — have had a relatively quieter IPL. But it was their bowling which caught the eye in the last game. Remember Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain? Will they shine once again? Or will Samson call the shots?