IPL 2025: The former Indian skipper MS Dhoni is once again ready to captain Chennai Super Kings for the rest of the IPL 2025 season, following Ruturaj Gaikwad being officially ruled out from the team’s playing XI with an elbow fracture. Head coach Stephen Fleming announced the news on Thursday (April 10), moments before CSK’s next home game against Kolkata Knight Riders.
🚨 DHONI – THE CSK CAPTAIN 🚨
– Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out of the IPL 2025 due to an injury pic.twitter.com/uIl6Svbm2Q---Advertisement---— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 10, 2025
Ruturaj Gaikwad Injury
Gaikwad, 28, hurt himself while playing against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 when he was hit on the elbow by a ball bowled by Tushar Deshpande. Though he played in the next two games against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings with pain, additional scans now confirmed a fracture, which puts him out for the remainder of the tournament.
“Sadly, Ruturaj Gaikwad is going to miss the rest of the tournament,” Fleming stated. “He got hit in Guwahati and has been playing with some discomfort. Early X-rays were not clear, but the MRI has shown a fracture in his elbow. It’s sad news, and we feel bad for him.”
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Head Coach Lauded Gaikwad
Fleming lauded Gaikwad’s attempt to continue playing despite the pain but confirmed that Dhoni, tongue-in-cheek referred to as an “uncapped player,” will assume captaincy responsibilities. The 43-year-old veteran wicketkeeper-batter comes in at a critical juncture, with CSK sitting ninth on the points table after losing four of their first five games.
Gaikwad’s unavailability is a big setback for CSK’s struggling top order. He has been their most reliable batter over the last few years, finishing as the franchise’s highest run-getter in three of the previous four seasons.
Thala Returns
Dhoni’s return to captaincy sees him back in a familiar role. He briefly handed the reins to Ravindra Jadeja in 2022 before reassuming the captaincy midway through that season. Ahead of IPL 2024, he stepped aside again to let Gaikwad take over, but now finds himself back at the helm, tasked with turning around CSK’s faltering campaign.
“He knows the situation and what the team needs at present,” Fleming said of Dhoni. “Ruturaj didn’t wish to take a step back, but since he is out now, MS didn’t think twice in filling in the gap. That was never a doubt.”
On the question of replacements, Fleming stated that the team would look first at players within the existing squad. “We have some decent players who’ve been with us for a long time, so we’ll look in-house first. But yes, there’s also a chance to look at how we can improve the squad in the future.”
MS Dhoni’s Captaincy Stats
Dhoni has led CSK in 235 of their 268 games, creating one of the most successful legacies in IPL history. Under his captaincy, the team has won five IPL titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023) and two Champions League T20 titles. Amazingly, CSK have only failed to make the playoffs twice—in 2020 and 2022—and have made it to the IPL final on 10 occasions, including a remarkable run of four consecutive finals from 2010 to 2013.
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