Follow UsIn what comes as breaking news, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) due to an elbow injury. MS Dhoni has hence been confirmed to captain the Super Kings for the remainder of IPL 2025.
Losing Gaikwad is a huge blow to CSK, but the good news is that they can sign quality overseas players as replacement thanks to them having filled only seven of the available eight overseas slots.
Here are some players who CSK could rope in as Gaikwad’s replacement.
He went unsold at the auction, but Jonny Bairstow is a quality batter who is also a very good player of spin. He also has an obvious Super Kings connection, having played for Joburg Super Kings just two months back. And Bairstow had a very good SA20 2025 for JSK, scoring 232 runs at an average of 38.66 and strike rate of 134.10.
If CSK rope in Bairstow, he can both open the batting and bat at No.4 as well.
This will be a controversial pick, given David Warner has already signed to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for Karachi Kings. In fact, Warner has been appointed Karachi Kings’ captain. So it’s thus very unlikely that CSK will rope in Warner, but the option is still available at their disposal.
And Warner, despite being 38, has been outstanding in T20s in 2025 so far, having amassed 373 runs at an average of 53 and strike rate of 143.
Will we miraculously see Warner turning up in CSK’s Yellow Jersey?
Another player CSK can potentially target is Steve Smith. He went unsold at the auction and does not have any gigs currently - not PSL, not County Cricket.
But Smith is in the form of his life in T20s, having scored 509 runs in his last 12 T20s at an average of 73 and strike rate of 159.
He could potentially be a run-bank for CSK at the top of the order.
An obvious name CSK could sign to beef up their middle-order is Dewald Brevis. The 21-year-old has been in sensational form across formats of late. He also had an outstanding SA20 2025, smashing 25 sixes, the most among all players in the tournament. He smashed 291 runs at an average of 48.50 and strike rate of 184.17 for champions MI Cape Town.
Brevis could provide CSK the firepower at the middle-order, something they currently lack.