"MS Dhoni's Presence Stalling Ruturaj Gaikwad's Rise": Ex India Star's Unfiltered Remark

Many have speculated that CSK's match against Gujarat Titans (GT) could be MS Dhoni's last game in the IPL.

MS Dhoni's presence has stemmed the growth of Ruturaj Gaikwad as a leader.© BCCI

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has made a shocking claim regarding Chennai Super Kings (CSK), saying that MS Dhoni's presence has stemmed the growth of Ruturaj Gaikwad as a potential leader. Bangar's remark came ahead of what could be Dhoni's last game of his IPL career, with the five-time champions taking on Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Bangar suggested both Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja have not been able to grow as leaders due to being under Dhoni's shadow.

"Ruturaj & Jadeja remain under Dhoni's shadow, never truly taking their own leap. Always mirroring MS's mindset, they miss the chance to evolve but Dhoni's presence keeps it locked, stalling the rise of new leaders," Bangar said on Star Sports.

Meanwhile, CSK won the toss and opted to bat first against GT in their final league game of IPL 2025. The MS Dhoni-led side's campaign will come to an end after this match, having failed to qualify for the playoffs.

While were the first team to be eliminated from the playoffs contention, they could play spoilsport for Gujarat Titans, who would be eyeing to seal the top spot in the table with a win.

With nothing to lose for the MS Dhoni-led side, probably captaining CSK for the last time, urged his team to enjoy their cricket and confirmed Ravichandran Ashwin is making way for Deepak Hooda in the playing XI.

"It looks nice and hard, will remain the same. It's quite hot, and looks like a good track. It's surviving. Every year is a new challenge. It needs a lot of maintenance. Didn't trouble me enough when I was playing international cricket. Chennai is very nice, this is different heat, on the slower side. We are last in the table, we will still remain last, if we win or lose. Need to enjoy our cricket. We have one change. Hooda is back. They are a good side, they play authentic cricket. Need to bowl tight lines," said CSK captain Dhoni at the toss.

Many have speculated that this could be Dhoni's last game in the IPL.

Topics mentioned in this article

Chennai Super Kings

Gujarat Titans Mahendra Singh Dhoni

MS Dhoni Ruturaj Gaikwad Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja Sanjay Bangar IPL 2025 Cricket

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