It’s confirmed. MS Dhoni will now lead CSK in the IPL 2025, as skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the entire tournament due to an elbow fracture, as per the Indian Express. The same was confirmed by CSK coach Stephen Fleming in PC on Thursday, on the eve of their fixture against KKR in Chennai.
MS Dhoni Back as CSK Captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad Injured
Meanwhile, before the last match vs PBKS, there were reports suggesting that Ruturaj Gaikwad would miss that game due to the same injury, and Dhoni would lead, but in the last moment, the management stuck to playing him. But Rutu was rather ineffective in the match, as he could only score 1 in 3 deliveries in the outing. Eventually CSK lost the match by 18 runs.
The 28-year-old was also enduring a tough season, where he had scored 122 runs in 5 matches, at an average of 24 and a strike-rate of 150. More importantly, he lacked inspirational leadership, as his side are placed 9th in the IPL 2025 points table, with only one win in 5 matches.
Batting Takes Severe Hit for Chennai in IPL 2025
That said, it will only increase the problems for Chennai Super Kings, since their entire batting unit has looked brittle in the tournament. Kiwi batter Rachin Ravindra has been their top-scorer this year, with only 145 runs in 5 matches to his name. And none from the team feature in the top 10 list of the Orange Cap leaders.
Even though Dhoni will take over as the captain, it remains to be seen, who makes the playing XI in Gaikwad’s absence. Rahul Tripathi and Deepak Hooda could be viable options, but the duo have been poor too. Hooda has scored 7 runs in 2 innings, while Tripathi has scored 30 in 3.
