MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: The absence of MS Dhoni from the Chennai Super Kings dugout in IPL 2026 has sparked widespread curiosity, but batting coach Michael Hussey has now revealed the selfless reason behind the veteran’s decision to stay away.Speaking ahead of CSK’s marquee clash against Mumbai Indians at Chepauk, Hussey explained that Dhoni consciously chose not to attend matches to avoid becoming a distraction for the team.“He’s such a team-oriented guy, MS Dhoni. He always wants what’s best for the team, and he was worried that if he came, there’d be a bit too much of a distraction,” Hussey said.“Obviously, the cameras would be on him a lot. The crowd would be cheering for him and things like that. And he really wanted the team to just be able to go about their job, do our thing.”Despite being part of the squad since pre-season, Dhoni — who is recovering from a calf injury — has not featured in a single match so far. His absence on match days, Hussey stressed, was a deliberate attempt to keep the spotlight firmly on the playing group.“Whether that’s right or wrong, that’s not my decision to sort of make, but that’s the thinking behind with Dhoni not wanting to come to the matches,” he added.Focus on recovery, not attentionWhile Dhoni has stayed away from the dugout, he has remained actively involved behind the scenes, regularly attending training sessions and interacting with players.Hussey also provided a positive update on Dhoni’s recovery, suggesting a return could be imminent — though no firm timeline has been set.“Hopefully, he’ll be back as soon as possible. I don’t know if it’s tomorrow or maybe the next match after that, but he’s progressing really well,” he said.“I know he’s been upping his running speeds, and that was probably the sticking point. I think we’re very confident from a skill perspective with his batting and his wicketkeeping.”“It was just making sure that he could maintain good running power… so as soon as he’s got the confidence in his calf, then I’m sure he’ll give it the tick to be ready to go,” he explained.