Ruturaj Gaikwad, captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), will not play in the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) because of a minor elbow fracture. Ahead of their upcoming match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday, April 11, head coach Stephen Fleming has stated that MS Dhoni will be leading CSK for the remainder of the season.
There were rumours that CSK captain Gaikwad was hurt prior to their most recent match versus Punjab Kings. He did play in the match, though, as CSK lost by eighteen runs. Through a post on their X account, the franchise notified their followers of the leadership transition and wished Gaikwad a swift recovery. He copped a blow on his right forearm during their defeat against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati.
“Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out of the season due to a hairline fracture of the elbow. MS DHONI TO LEAD. GET WELL SOON, RUTU !,” posted CSK on their X account.
In the pre-match press conference before their next game against KKR, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming disclosed that an MRI scan showed the severity of Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury and named MS Dhoni as the team’s captain for the remainder of the season. “He got hit in Guwahati. He’s been operating with an amount of pain. We got an X-ray, which was inconclusive, and we had an MRI, which revealed a fracture in his elbow, in the radial neck,” said Fleming. “So we’re disappointed and feel for him. We appreciate the efforts that he’s gone to in terms of trying to play, but unfortunately, he’d be out of the tournament from now. We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL,” he added.
Given that CSK has dropped their last four games, the change in leadership comes at a critical time. For the first time since the IPL 2023 final, when CSK defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium to win their record-tying fifth championship, Dhoni will take the helm once more. He relinquished his captaincy prior to the 2024 season and gave Gaikwad leadership responsibilities. The 27-year-old didn’t have a memorable beginning to his captaincy as CSK failed to qualify for the playoffs after losing their last league fixture against RCB. Gaikwad further didn’t have a good time as captain in the ongoing season, as CSK have lost four out of the first five matches and are languishing on the ninth spot on the points table.
Therefore, it would be difficult for Dhoni to get CSK’s campaign back on track. As the most successful captain in IPL history, having guided his sides to 133 victories out of 226 games, the renowned wicketkeeper-batter has enough expertise to produce the desired outcome. Along with Rohit Sharma, who has also guided MI to five championships, he has also won the joint-most titles (five) in the tournament’s history as captain.
It is unclear if the CSK, who are in dire need of getting back to winning ways, would experience any change in fortune as a result of the leadership shift. Meanwhile, Dhoni’s comeback as CSK captain has sent their fans into a frenzy as they welcome the return of their ‘Thala’ as skipper.
