MS Dhoni is set to lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season following Ruturaj Gaikwad's exclusion due to an injury. Stephen Fleming, CSK Coach, said: "Due to injury, Ruturaj Gaikwad is out of the IPL tournament, and Dhoni will take over as captain for the rest of the game," Stephen Fleming said in the pre-match press conference. Chennai Super Kings have encountered a significant setback before their upcoming match in the IPL 2025,scheduled to be held on Friday. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was sidelined from the league due to an elbow injury.
During his absence, the legendary wicketkeeper-batter will again assume the team leader role. This highlights his comeback as captain for the first time since he led the team to victory in the final of the IPL 2023 against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Social media went berserk after CSK announced Dhoni's return as skipper.
Fleming announced that Dhoni, an uncapped player, will be the team's new captain for the rest of the IPL season. Dhoni readily agreed to take on the leadership role and help guide the team.
"We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL. Dhoni had no hesitation to step up and help guide us out of this if we can," Stephen Fleming said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Dhoni possesses an impressive record as an IPL captain. He has guided CSK and Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) to 133 victories out of 226 games, achieving a win percentage of 58. 84, and he has steered CSK to five IPL championships in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.
He is also the sixth-highest run-getter in the tournament's history, with 5,346 runs at an average of 39.31 and a strike rate of over 137, with 24 fifties and a best score of 84. In IPL 2025, Dhoni has made 103 runs in five innings at an average of 51.50 and a strike rate of over 153.73; his best score is 30.
CSK is placed in the ninth position. This injury is a significant setback for the five-time champions, who have lost four out of their initial five matches this season and will now be missing their captain and crucial batsman in the top order.
It is worth mentioning that Gaikwad has been CSK's leading run scorer in three of the past four seasons. CSK will now play defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Chennai Super Kings Squad: Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Gopal, Sam Curran, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Andre Siddarth C, Vansh Bedi.