MS Dhoni is set to lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) once again in the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), following Ruturaj Gaikwad’s exit due to an elbow injury.
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed the development at a pre-match press conference.
“Due to injury, Rituraj Gaikwad is out of the IPL tournament, and Dhoni will take over as captain for the rest of the game,” said Fleming.
Chennai Super Kings suffered a major setback ahead of their upcoming clash in IPL 2025, scheduled for Friday. With their captain and top-order batter Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out, the team turned to their legendary leader, MS Dhoni, to take charge once again.
This marks Dhoni’s return to captaincy for the first time since he led CSK to a title win in IPL 2023 against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Stephen Fleming humorously referred to Dhoni as an “uncapped player” while announcing the decision.
“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,” he added, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Dhoni’s credentials as a leader are exceptional. Across 226 matches as captain for CSK and Rising Pune Supergiant, he has led his sides to 133 wins, with an impressive win rate of 58.84%. Under his leadership, CSK has clinched the IPL title five times — in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.
In terms of batting, Dhoni is the sixth-highest run-scorer in IPL history with 5,346 runs, averaging 39.31 and a strike rate of over 137. In IPL 2025, he has so far scored 103 runs in five innings, maintaining a solid average of 51.50 and a strike rate of 153.73. His highest score this season is 30.
Currently sitting in ninth position on the points table, CSK has struggled this season, losing four out of their first five games. The loss of Gaikwad, their top scorer in three of the past four seasons, is a major blow.
Chennai will now face defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
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.