By Chirag - Apr 11, 2025 09:37 AM
In a dramatic turn of events, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been hit with a major setback ahead of their crucial encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) this Friday. Due to an elbow injury, star opener and current captain Ruturaj Gaikwad will miss the rest of the season. CSK’s head coach, Stephen Fleming, confirmed the development, stating that the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni will take over the captaincy once again.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was handed the captaincy baton just before the IPL 2024 season, showed promise as a leader. However, his unfortunate injury has left a massive void in the team setup. The elbow injury will keep him out for the entire season, adding to CSK’s woes in what has already been a tough campaign.
In response to this setback, CSK have turned to their most trusted leader—MS Dhoni. The former Indian captain will now lead the franchise once more, marking yet another chapter in his storied IPL journey. Dhoni, who had previously stepped down from captaincy duties to make way for future leaders, is stepping back in at a time when CSK desperately needs a turnaround.
Dhoni holds the record for captaining the most IPL matches (226), with an impressive 133 wins under his leadership. He remains the only captain to notch over 100 victories in the tournament’s history, followed by Rohit Sharma with 87 wins in 158 matches.
This isn't the first time CSK has opted for a mid-season leadership change. In IPL 2022, Ravindra Jadeja was appointed captain just before the tournament began, but after a poor start, Dhoni was reinstated and went on to lead the team to their fifth IPL title in 2023. Gaikwad's elevation to captaincy in 2024 was seen as a long-term transition, but fate had other plans.
CAPTAIN MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI ?7️⃣#WhistlePodu #Yellove ?? pic.twitter.com/H3Wqm6AdGt
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 10, 2025
Apart from Dhoni and Gaikwad, former CSK stalwart Suresh Raina has also captained the side during Dhoni's absence in earlier editions.
CSK’s performance this season has been far from their championship-winning standards. They have lost four out of their five matches, managing a solitary win against Mumbai in their season opener. Currently, they sit at the ninth position on the points table with only two points and a dismal net run rate of -0.889.
With Dhoni back at the helm, fans will be hoping for a resurgence from the Yellow Army. His calm demeanor, tactical brilliance, and immense experience might be the spark CSK needs to claw their way back into playoff contention.
As CSK gears up to face KKR, all eyes will be on the iconic leader to once again work his magic and steer the team out of troubled waters.
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