Follow UsMS Dhoni will captain Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at least for nine more matches as the 43-year-old has been appointed the franchise’s captain for the rest of the season.
Dhoni’s appointment comes on the back of Ruturaj Gaikwad getting ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025 due to an elbow injury he picked up in the clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati, where he was struck heavily on the elbow by a short ball from Tushar Deshpande.
Gaikwad went on to score 63 in that clash, and played the games against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), but head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed that the 28-year-old will miss the remainder of the season due to an elbow fracture.
"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," Fleming said ahead of the KKR clash.
"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,” said Fleming added.
The news means that Dhoni will captain CSK again, having last led the side in the final of IPL 2023 against Gujarat Titans (GT), the game in which the Super Kings won their fifth title. Dhoni stepped down as CSK skipper a day ahead of IPL 2024, with Gaikwad taking over as his successor.
However, the Super Kings have been disappointing under Gaikwad, losing 11 games while winning just 8. CSK failed to make the playoffs in IPL 2024 under Gaikwad.