For the first time in the history of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), an IPL season has concluded without MS Dhoni playing a single delivery. This development emerged despite Dhoni being part of the squad for the 2026 Indian Premier League campaign, as persistent injury issues kept him sidelined for the entirety of the 14 league matches. Speaking at the press conference following Thursday’s defeat against the Gujarat Titans, CSK bowling coach Eric Simons was asked whether the franchise remains hopeful of Dhoni playing next season, amid growing speculation that the former skipper might call it quits to transition fully into a support staff role. Simons put an end to the debate, offering a clear response regarding the India icon’s future.

In Dhoni’s absence, CSK handed opportunities to a number of youngsters throughout the tournament, with the likes of Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, and Ayush Mhatre regularly given chances to test their mettle. While Kartik emerged as a strong contender for a permanent middle-order role, others like Urvil and Dewald Brevis only looked competent in brief phases.

This transitional phase has triggered an intense debate over whether Dhoni’s return next season is a viable possibility or if it might disrupt the franchise’s long-term strategy. Simons, however, emphasised that the decision rests entirely in the hands of the Indian cricket legend.

“Well, you’re seriously asking me that question?” Simons smiled when asked if the team is hopeful of seeing Dhoni play next year. “Yeah, look, we always are. I mean, honestly, 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’d be great to have him playing. It’s been great just having him around the unit and being someone to tap into for knowledge and calmness,” he added.

READ | Entire CSK Team Punished, Captain Handed Hefty Fine After Final IPL 2026 Game

CSK A Young Team, Needs Time: Simons

Reflecting on the turbulent nature of CSK’s campaign this year, Simons highlighted that the squad is in a developmental phase, with a lot of young players still learning to adapt and handle the weight of expectations. He also noted that untimely injuries to pivotal squad members severely hampered their consistency.

“I think an important part of winning an IPL is that you get your balance right and you have a side that can carry itself through, where your changes are made a long way before the game, not because someone’s out of form, but because you’re moving into a particular condition,” Simons asserted.

“We know ourselves a lot better as a unit now, and we also know a lot of the individuals better in terms of what they can and can’t do. Someone like Kartik has come along magnificently this season, we know what he’s about, Urvil, we know what he’s about. Obviously, the established players, we’ve always known who they were and what they are.”

“But I do know that we’ve come away from this tournament understanding ourselves as a unit better, and that stands us in good stead. Across the board, we’re quite a young or reasonably inexperienced side, and then we obviously had a lot of unlucky injuries along the way. Just as we were gaining momentum, we lost someone like Jamie Overton, who is such a balancing factor in our team. He is so important to our bowling attack through the middle overs so we don’t have to make radical changes, and he can also bat at the back end of the innings. Losing him threw us off a bit, but we’ve learned a lot about ourselves both as a unit and as individuals,” Simons concluded.

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IPL 2026 News | Shami’s Sensation Leads Lucknow to First Win of Season

Austin Theory and Logan Paul have one of their biggest tests as world tag team champions this weekend as they defend their titles against The Street Profits at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Theory and Paul are members of The Vision – the top faction on “Monday Night Raw” featuring the future of the WWE. Bron Breakker may be the in-ring leader of the group as he made a thunderous return to the roster at WrestleMania 42 and then defeated Seth Rollins at Backlash. Theory and Paul are the ones with the gold while Paul Heyman is the mouthpiece for the next generation of superstars.

With the tag team title around his waist, Paul has now held gold twice in WWE since making his debut with the company in 2021. Paul has the tools that any pro wrestler dreams of – the athletic prowess in the ring coupled with immense heat from the crowd along with his skills on the mic.

Theory told Fox News Digital that Paul’s rise in the WWE has made it tougher for any outsider to come in and have success, suggesting the YouTube sensation has set the bar enormously high.

Austin Theory and Logan Paul speak during WWE Backlash at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Fla., on May 9, 2026. (Michael Owens/WWE)

LOGAN PAUL’S JAW-DROPPING SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT WOW FANS AT WWE MONEY IN THE BANK

“I say with Logan Paul, with his athletic ability and his skills in wrestling and how he’s been able to just develop it so quick,” he said. “It’s impressive to me – somebody who’s wanted to be in WWE since I was eight, started training at 18, signed with the WWE at 22 and took that longer path. But I have to give Logan his respect. This is a dude, as a young kid, started with YouTube and streaming and pretty much – dude created YouTube. He put it on the map, his whole streaming thing.

“Kind of both of us building our dreams in different ways and kind of meeting in the middle. I just think he kinda just messed it up for everybody on the outside that wants to come into WWE and thinks like, ‘Oh wow, this is easy. Like, I can pick up a mic and talk trash and I can do these cool moves off the ropes like Logan Paul,’ but you can’t. There’s an art to it. Logan Paul is exceptional on the mic. In the ring, he does things even highflyers we have in WWE couldn’t even do. He’s just a phenomenal athlete. When it comes to me and Logan Paul, we’re freaks of nature. That’s why I say we’re gonna motivate everybody this Saturday at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Fort Wayne.”

The Vision, which also includes an injured Bronson Reed, is under the tutelage of Heyman, who has been a “wiseman” and an “advocate” for many young talents in WWE.

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Theory had the utmost confidence that Heyman was sending him and his stablemates in the right direction.

World Tag Team Champion Austin Theory enters the arena during Monday Night RAW at Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, N.C., on May 18, 2026. (Michael Owens/WWE)

“With Paul Heyman, you know, this history with him having Brock Lesnar, having Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Seth Rollins – you know, before he realized he was a loser,” he said. “Paul Heyman, man, he’s the ‘wiseman.’ I think anything that comes out of his mouth is gold and especially kind of molding The Vision and sending us in the right direction. I couldn’t ask for more. It’s just sitting under the knowledge tree of history. He’s from back in the 80s to present day. The dude’s done it all. I’m very grateful for the wiseman, Paul Heyman.”

Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins will challenge for the tag titles. The two returned to “Monday Night Raw” after WrestleMania 42 after a prolonged absence.

Theory gave them credit where credit is due. They are three-time WWE tag champions and won the tag titles at NXT and Evolve. However, Theory made clear that Ford and Dawkins are running into “the greatest tag team champions of the world.”

“Well, the Street Profits. They’ve been in the WWE a very long time,” he said. “Feels like too long, like 60 years. I do realize every time I have a title, they’re around, which makes sense because they’re irrelevant and I’m relevant. But not to push them too low down, they’re very athletic, they have a great resume. But it’s just that comparison to Austin Theory and Logan Paul – The Vision. The greatest tag team champions of the world, of the universe. You can’t really compare.

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World Tag Team Champions Austin Theory and Logan Paul stand alongside Bron Breakker and Paul Heyman during Monday Night RAW at Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, N.C., on May 18, 2026. (Michael Owens/WWE)

“Unfortunately, yes, I said unfortunately, the show is in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I look at this match as more of a big motivational moment for those people because they’re gonna see two guys that don’t look like anybody from Fort Wayne. We look like freaking superheroes. We’re really there to inspire everybody and then after the match, get the hell out of there.”

Saturday Night’s Main Event will take place Saturday in Fort Wayne, Indiana, much to Theory’s chagrin. And, it’s a loaded card.

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Aside from the tag team title match, read below for how the rest of the card looks.

• Paige and Brie Bella (c) vs. Nia Jax and Lash Legend for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
• Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca.
• Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab.
• Penta (c) vs. Ethan Page for the Intercontinental Championship.

RR frontrunner for the final playoff spot (Pic credit: IPL)

The race for the final IPL 2026 playoff spot is down to four teams after Gujarat Titans crushed Chennai Super Kings by 89 runs in Ahmedabad to officially eliminate CSK from contention and almost seal a top-two finish for themselves.Three teams who are already confirmed for the playoffs are Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, while the fight for the last remaining berth is now between Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals.

GT almost lock in top-two finish, RCB and SRH battle for remaining spot

GT’s emphatic win took them to 18 points with an NRR of +0.695, but it was still not enough to overtake table-toppers’ RCB’s NRR. RCB take on SRH today for their last league game and they only need to avoid a massive defeat against SRH in Hyderabad to maintain their top spot. A win will take them to 20 points and punch their ticket for Qualifier 1. However, SRH have everything to play for despite their qualification. To leapfrog GT and secure a place in Qualifier 1 (top-two finish), they would need an extraordinary margin of victory against RCB. If they bat first, they will likely need to win by around 87-89 runs, depending on RCB’s first innings total being between 180-240. If chasing, they may need to hunt down targets in under 12 overs.

RR frontrunner for the final playoff spot

RR remain favourites to grab the final playoff berth. Currently on 14 points with one game remaining against eliminated MI on Sunday, RR know a victory at Wankhede will seal qualification on 16 points, because none of the remaining teams in contention can reach 16 points. Their position is strengthened by the schedule. By the time RR take the field against MI on Sunday afternoon, they will already know the outcomes of LSG vs PBKS, with PBKS being their closest competitor for the final playoff spot. The ideal scenario for RR is straightforward:

The danger for RR is their modest NRR of +0.083. A heavy defeat to MI combined with wins for PBKS or KKR could still complicate matters. In that scenario, RR will be stuck at 14 points, with PBKS and KKR moving 15 and superior NRR among the two teams deciding the final playoff spot. RR’s loss will be beneficial for both KKR and DC as they would know exactly what they have to do to claim the final spot in the last league fixture of IPL 2026.

PBKS need to beat LSG and hope RR stumble

PBKS are still alive despite five straight defeats. A win over already-eliminated LSG would take PBKS to 15 points, a total that could yet be enough for fourth place. That will make Sunday’s two fixtures virtual knockouts for both RR and KKR. However, PBKS’ biggest hope is MI upsetting RR. If RR win and move to 16, PBKS can no longer finish above them.If PBKS win, and RR lose, then Punjab Kings will closely watch KKR vs DC. Since those two teams face each other directly, a KKR win will complicate matters for PBKS, but a win for DC would mean PBKS will be through. PBKS do at least possess a healthy NRR advantage over RR and KKR, meaning ties on points could still favour them.Their equation:

KKR face virtual knockout against DC

KKR kept themselves alive by beating MI earlier in the week and now sit on 13 points with one game remaining. Their final league clash against DC has effectively become a knockout game.A win takes KKR to 15 points and keeps them alive. A defeat eliminates them.But even if KKR beat DC, they still need RR to lose against MI. If RR win and reach 16, KKR cannot catch them.KKR would also prefer PBKS to lose against LSG because PBKS reaching 15 would likely bring NRR into the picture.The positive for KKR is that their NRR has finally turned positive at +0.011 after the MI victory, giving them at least a fighting chance in a tie on points.Their equation:

DC hanging by a thread

DC remain mathematically alive but probably have the toughest task. Their NRR of -0.871 is comfortably the worst among the contenders, meaning ties on points are unlikely to help them.To stay alive, DC must beat KKR in the final league game. That takes them to 14 points.But even then, they would still need: RR to lose to MI and PBKS to lose to LSGEven under that scenario, DC could still require a major NRR swing depending on margins.In reality, DC likely need:

Anything short of that probably ends their campaign.