On Tuesday, the veteran wicketkeeper-batter was spotted training at the Wankhede Stadium nets.

He not only had an extended batting session but also went through keeping drills, strongly hinting at a possible return for the clash against the Mumbai Indians on Thursday. But the comeback buzz was put to rest a day later.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Mumbai, CSK bowling coach Eric Simmons clarified that the call on Dhoni’s return would rest solely with the player himself.

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“MS will only play when he feels he is ready to go and the medical team clears him, so I am not going to make any announcement sitting here,” Simmons said.

Chennai have been grappling with a spate of injuries this season. More recently, fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed was ruled out of the tournament due to a right quadriceps injury, while top-order batter Ayush Mhatre has also been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a hamstring injury.

The franchise is yet to announce replacements for the two players.

However, reports suggest that former Mumbai Indians pacer Akash Madhwal attended CSK’s trials in Hyderabad, while Rajvardhan Hangargekar was also speculated to have taken part in a trial session with the team in Mumbai.

These injury setbacks have taken a toll on Chennai’s campaign. The five-time champions currently find themselves in the bottom half of the points table, with just two wins in four matches. They sit eighth in the standings, having lost their first three games before bouncing back with consecutive wins at home, only to suffer another setback in their previous outing against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad.