MS Dhoni prepares to take the lead as captain of CSK in the IPL 2025 through their match vs KKR Chennai on Friday. CSK’s present performance indicates a challenging season because they have lost four matches from their first five games while occupying the ninth position in the standings that consists of ten teams. The absence of regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad became more severe after his elbow injury resulted in his injury absence. The difficult situation calls for Dhoni to take over CSK’s leadership to revive the struggling campaign of the five-time champions.
MS Dhoni Returns As CSK Captain After Gaikwad Injury, Says Coach Fleming
CSK coach Stephen Fleming stated that MS Dhoni was completely open to the idea of leading CSK once more.
“He had no hesitation to step up and help guide us out of this if we can,” Fleming said. “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.”
Dhoni led CSK during a ten-year span from 2008 until 2023 as he secured five IPL championship titles. Before the start of the 2024 campaign Dhoni made Gaikwad his new team leader. Gaikwad received an injury after Archer delivered a short-pitched delivery on March 30 which led to his appearance in two matches since then.
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Fleming Confirms Gaikwad’s Elbow Fracture, MS Dhoni To Lead CSK In IPL 2025
“We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL,” Fleming told mediapersons ahead of the match against KKR on Friday.
“He got hit in Guwahati (vs RR). 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,” Fleming said.
Despite playing through pain against the Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, Gaikwad had to wait for the swelling to subside before the CSK medical team could perform an MRI.
“So we’re disappointed and feel for him. We appreciate the efforts that he’s gone to in terms of trying to play, but, he will be out of the tournament.
MS Dhoni Returns As CSK Captain Amid Injury Crisis And Team Struggles in IPL 2025
The captaincy baton shifted to MS Dhoni after an injured Ruturaj Gaikwad as CSK faced a ninth-place finish with four losses during the initial five matches in IPL 2025. The team’s coach Stephen Fleming confirmed that MS Dhoni initiated his comeback as captain without any doubt to change the team’s downward trajectory. The top and middle order formed a crucial part of the CSK team but Gaikwad stood out as their most successful batter. CSK must consider recalling Rahul Tripathi to play along with Deepak Hooda while also trying out fresh players Ayush Mhatre and Vansh Bedi in middle-order positions.
Also Read: IPL 2025: ‘Captain THALA Returns!’ MS Dhoni To Lead CSK After Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Injury Blow
