In what comes as a huge blow to Chennai Super Kings, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 owing to an elbow injury. MS Dhoni will lead CSK in the remainder of the tournament, franchise head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed on Thursday ahead of CSK’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders to be played on April 10 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Notably, Gaikwad was doubtful for CSK’s last game against Punjab Kings but ended up playing the match. He managed just one run off three deliveries. Meanwhile, Dhoni will be back in charge of the leadership duties for CSK.
He has captained CSK in 235 matches, leading the team to five IPL titles. Dhoni had left the captaincy duties to Ravindra Jadeja ahead of the 2022 season, but a shaky start to the competition forced the left-arm all rounder to hand the reigns back to his former captain.