CHENNAI, April 10: Chennai Super Kings will once again turn to MS Dhoni for leadership after opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025 with a fractured elbow. Head Coach Stephen Fleming confirmed the injury and captaincy change on Thursday, a day before CSK’s home clash against Kolkata Knight Riders.
“Unfortunately, Ruturaj Gaikwad is going to be ruled out of the tournament,” Fleming said. “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, so we’re disappointed and feel for him.”
The 28-year-old opener sustained the injury while facing teammate Tushar Deshpande during CSK’s match against Rajasthan Royals on March 30. Although he featured in the next two games against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, follow-up scans confirmed the fracture, forcing CSK to make a leadership shift.
Gaikwad’s absence deals a heavy blow to Chennai’s campaign, as the team currently sits ninth in the standings with just one win from five matches. Beyond leadership, they lose a consistent performer — Gaikwad has been CSK’s top scorer in three of the last four IPL seasons.
With the setback, the franchise has turned to a familiar figure. Dhoni, 43, will resume captaincy duties, returning to a role he has occupied for the majority of CSK’s history. He had passed on the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja in 2022, reclaimed it mid-season, and again stepped aside before IPL 2024.
“He understands that the team is in need at the moment,” Fleming said about Dhoni’s return. “There’s Rutu who didn’t want to go. So, he had no hesitation to step up and help guide us out of this if he can. So, that was never a doubt.”
Asked about a possible replacement for Gaikwad in the squad, Fleming said the team would first look inward. “Replacements, we’ll look at. We’ve got some good players in the squad that have been with us a while, so we’ll look from within first. But, yeah, there is an opportunity to see how we can enhance the squad probably moving forward into subsequent years.”
Dhoni’s leadership record is unmatched in the IPL. He has captained CSK in 235 of their 268 matches, steering them to five IPL titles — 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023 — and two Champions League T20 trophies. The team has missed the playoffs only twice under his captaincy and reached the finals 10 times, including four consecutive appearances between 2010 and 2013.
With Dhoni now back at the helm, CSK will hope to steady their troubled season and restore the consistency that once defined them.
