The lingering mystery surrounding MS Dhoni’s complete absence from the ongoing Indian Premier League season has taken a compelling turn, with veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin hinting that the legendary wicketkeeper-batter could finally make his heavily anticipated return in Chennai Super Kings’ must-win encounter against SunRisers Hyderabad on Monday.

Dhoni, who has not played a single match in Chennai’s 12 fixtures so far this season due to a calf injury sustained during pre-season training, left fans crestfallen yet again on Friday night. Despite travel arrangements being made for him to join the squad in Lucknow, the 44-year-old ultimately stayed back in Chennai as CSK fell to a damaging seven-wicket defeat against Lucknow Super Giants.

However, speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin offered a reassuring assessment of Dhoni’s physical state, suggesting that a return to the playing XI at Chepauk on Monday is firmly on the horizon.”Even now, if we talk about a quality pace hitter, I think it’s him,” Ashwin said, underscoring Dhoni’s enduring value to a middle order that has occasionally lacked late-innings impetus. “Let’s see. I have a feeling that against SunRisers Hyderabad, there is a good chance of him playing. Let’s wait and see how it goes.”

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Whether the former captain can provide the fairytale finish to an otherwise frustrating season remains to be seen, but according to Ashwin, the medical green light is imminent.

“As far as I have heard, he has been ready to take the field for the last two-three games,” Ravichandran Ashwin said. Addressing the inevitable scrutiny that accompanies the prolonged rehabilitation of a high-profile athlete, Ashwin came to the defence of the Chennai team management. He dismissed the notion that skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad or head coach Stephen Fleming could have managed the situation differently, pointing instead to the complex realities of modern sports science.

“I think the more you cut down on training, the chances of getting injured increases. Some, in a bid to avoid injuries, they look at hopping from match to match—that’s wrong. But this is another department; it’s physiotherapy and sports science. I don’t think the coach and the captain can be blamed. They can’t do anything,” Ravichandran Ashwin explained.

In Dhoni’s absence, Chennai have had to navigate an incredibly turbulent campaign, relying on Sanju Samson behind the stumps and trying to patch together a functioning lower order. With young Dewald Brevis finding it difficult to provide the necessary thrust in the death overs, Dhoni’s re-entry as a finisher and field tactician could prove to be a crucial tactical upgrade for the final two league games.

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Despite the setback in Lucknow, which leaves Chennai sitting precariously at sixth in the table with 12 points and an anemic Net Run Rate of +0.027, Ashwin praised the squad’s resilience in keeping their title defence alive. “I personally think they have done an exceedingly good job in still continuing and keeping the team alive in this tournament. Not an easy one,” he said.