MS Dhoni is no longer the captain of Chennai Super Kings. He is currently out of action, sidelined with a calf injury, with no clarity yet on his return. He hasn’t travelled with the team for away games this season due to rehabilitation and has also stayed away from match days at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. And yet, he still runs Chepauk.
It has been a rough few months for Noor Ahmad. The Afghanistan spinner had gone wicketless in international cricket this year, and that struggle spilt into IPL 2026, where he failed to pick a wicket in his first three matches. He finally broke the drought against the Delhi Capitals in Chennai, but it was against the Kolkata Knight Riders that he truly rediscovered his rhythm.
Noor returned with figures of 3 for 21, playing a key role in Chennai’s second consecutive win while keeping KKR winless this season.
ALSO READ: ‘Try saying no to Kohli or Rohit’: Gambhir’s hardline approach has created enemies, but BCCI warned of chaos if removed
On a surface that aided spin, Noor kept it simple. He resisted the temptation to overuse variations and relied more on deliveries turning back into the right-handers. After his Player of the Match performance, CSK bowling coach Sridharan Sriram revealed how a conversation with Dhoni proved pivotal, with the former captain advising Noor to cut down on excessive googlies and trust his leg-break more.
“I think the wicket helped today. There was a bit more assistance for him compared to the flatter tracks earlier. He bowled slightly slower through the air, with more side spin and drop. That’s something he’s been working on. Even MS had a long chat with him in one of the practice sessions, encouraging him to get his leg-break going. It was very helpful, and the results showed,” Sriram said.
Dhoni may not have been present in the dressing room on match days, but he has been actively involved during training sessions at Chepauk.
On Monday, ahead of the clash against KKR, Dhoni and head coach Stephen Fleming were seen closely monitoring Noor during extended net sessions. After practice, Dhoni spent considerable time in conversation with the young spinner, who had enjoyed a stellar IPL 2025 season with 24 wickets.
With back-to-back wins, Chennai have climbed to eighth in the standings, ahead of Mumbai Indians and KKR. They next travel to Hyderabad to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18.