Mumbai: They are all legendary captains MS Dhoni England star all-rounder will jacks Will there be a return to action for Thursday night’s blockbuster match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium? After days of anticipation, that may well be the case. Dhoni CSK had an intense training session at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday night. It is worth noting that he kept the wicket for about half an hour and batted for about 30 minutes. The 44-year-old suffered a calf strain in pre-season training camp but hit the ball smoothly without any apparent discomfort. However, Dhoni had also trained with the CSK team in Chennai earlier. CSK is currently ranked eighth in the IPL 2026 standings with 2 wins and 4 losses. His potential return would add valuable depth to their batting. Meanwhile, Jacks has finally arrived in India after missing the first six games of MI. The England star, who was in fine form at the 2026 T20 World Cup and was awarded the Man of the Match award four times, trained at MI’s Wankhede nets from 5 pm to 6 pm on Monday and also took part in an optional practice session under lights on Tuesday. The 27-year-old off-spinner bowled and batted in the nets for nearly an hour. His arrival comes as a major boost for MI, whose campaign has regained momentum after a 99-run win over the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Monday night. Jacks’ arrival has been delayed for undisclosed reasons and the MI management did not reveal details of his absence for the first three weeks of IPL 2026. Management and fans are eagerly awaiting his arrival. A strong middle-order batsman and a brilliant spinner, Jacks has strengthened both departments for MI. His inclusion may force the team to drop one of their overseas spinners – Allah Ghazanfar or Mitchell Santner. Jacks, who had made a few cameos in the No. 6 and No. 7 jerseys for England during the T20 World Cup, also provided MI with a reliable finishing option. Spencer Johnson joins CSK squad The arrival of Australian pacer Spencer Johnson as a replacement for Nathan Ellis gave CSK another boost ahead of their match in Mumbai on Tuesday. The left-armer has undergone a quick training session with the team in the Wankhede and is expected to feature in the squad for Thursday night’s match, likely to replace Khaleel Ahmed, who was absent due to injury last week. After a slow start, injuries severely dampened CSK’s performance. Young batsman Ayush Mhatre suffered a hamstring injury in the last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, ruling him out for the remainder of IPL 2026.
