In a big turn of events, MS Dhoni has been reappointed as the captain of Chennai Super Kings for the remainder of IPL 2025 after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out due to an unfortunate elbow injury. The injury, which was sustained during a match against the Rajasthan Royals on March 30, turned out to be more serious than initially thought.
While Gaikwad initially played through the pain in the following games against Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, recent scans have revealed a hairline fracture in his elbow, making it impossible for him to continue in the tournament.
As a result, CSK, who are currently struggling at 10th position in the points table after losing four out of their first five matches, will be without their star opener and captain for the rest of the season. This comes as a huge setback for the team, which was already dealing with a tough start.
Here’s the official statement from CSK:
🚨 OFFICIAL STATEMENT 🚨
Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out of the season due to a hairline fracture of the elbow. MS DHONI TO LEAD. 🦁 GET WELL SOON, RUTU! ✨ 💛
#WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 10, 2025
Speaking to the media on April 10, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed the news. He 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, in the radial neck. 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.”
Fleming further added,
“He [Dhoni] had no hesitation to step up and help guide us out of this if we can. So that was never a doubt. We’ll look at replacements. 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.”
MS Dhoni’s leadership has been a key factor in CSK’s success over the years. In 2022, Dhoni temporarily handed over the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja but took over again midway through the season after things went south. Despite his temporary resignation before the 2024 season, Dhoni has now been called upon once again to lead CSK out of their current slump.
Under Dhoni’s captaincy, CSK has won five IPL titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023) and two Champions League T20 trophies. He has led the team in 235 of their 249 games and has never failed to deliver remarkable consistency, taking the team to the finals a record 10 times, including four years in a row from 2010 to 2013.
Can MS Dhoni work his magic once again and turn CSK’s fortunes around in IPL 2025? Fans will be eagerly watching!
