Chennai Super Kings have announced that MS Dhoni will captain the side again in IPL 2025 following regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s exclusion for the rest of the tournament. CSK’s night before their encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders saw their head coach Stephen Fleming announce that Gaikwad had sustained a left elbow fracture.
“Ruturaj Gaikwad excluded the IPL due to a fracture on his elbow. We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will be replacing him as captain in the rest of the games,” Fleming was quoted by saying during a press interaction in Chennai on Thursday.
“We are disappointed and feel for him. We appreciate the efforts that he has made in terms of trying to play, but unfortunately, he will be out of the tournament,” Fleming added.
Fleming has confirmed that Ruturaj Gaikwad is ruled out of IPL 2025 🥲🥲 pic.twitter.com/a1UicAZ6uB
— VIREN (@virendrareshmi) April 10, 2025
A few minutes later, CSK released an official confirmation of the news, declaring, “Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out of the season due to a hairline fracture of the elbow.”
🚨 OFFICIAL STATEMENT 🚨
Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out of the season due to a hairline fracture of the elbow.
MS DHONI TO LEAD. 🦁
GET WELL SOON, RUTU ! ✨ 💛#WhistlePodu #Yellove🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/U0NsVhKlny
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 10, 2025
Injury Traced Back to Clash Against Rajasthan Royals
The injury took place in CSK’s match against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 in Guwahati. Gaikwad was hit on his uncovered elbow by a ball from Tushar Deshpande in the second over when CSK were chasing 183 runs. Gaikwad played the subsequent two matches against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings despite the injury, with no outward signs of unease while batting or in the field.
But there was speculation when MS Dhoni was spotted captaining the team in later matches, allegedly because of doubts over Gaikwad’s elbow.
Gaikwad’s Performance Prior to Injury
Prior to his departure from the tournament, Gaikwad played five games for CSK this season, making two half-centuries batting at the No. 3 spot.
History Repeats as Dhoni Takes Over Captaincy Mid-Season
This is not the first time that Dhoni took over captaincy mid-season. In IPL 2022, Dhoni reclaimed captaincy from Ravindra Jadeja when the campaign was going through a miserable start. The 2025 season has repeated those fortunes with CSK sitting at No.9 of the points table so far with four consecutive losses.
Dhoni’s return as captain comes with high expectations. Over the years, under his leadership, CSK has not only clinched five IPL titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023) but also secured two Champions League trophies, thereby cementing his legacy as one of the most successful captains in T20 history.
