In a major setback for the Chennai Super Kings, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the IPL due to an elbow fracture, the franchise confirmed on Thursday. Head coach Stephen Fleming announced that MS Dhoni will take over the captaincy for the rest of the season.
“We have a few options within the squad as potential replacements, but nothing is final yet. Dhoni was prepared to step in—he understood the situation completely,” Fleming said.
“We’re obviously disappointed and feel for him,” said Fleming at the press conference on Thursday. “He’s put in a lot of effort to stay in the mix and play, but unfortunately, he’s been ruled out of the tournament. Taking over the captaincy duties for the remainder of the IPL will be our uncapped player, MS Dhoni.”
Gaikwad suffered a right forearm injury during the match against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 after a Tushar Deshpande delivery rose sharply off a short-of-a-good-length spot and struck him. Though initially doubtful for the April 5 game against Delhi Capitals, he pushed through and even featured in the recent clash against Punjab Kings on Tuesday.
His absence will be a major blow to Chennai Super Kings, not just in leadership but more crucially in batting depth. With Gaikwad out, CSK will be forced to shuffle their playing XI and rework their overseas player balance. It adds to an already difficult start to the IPL 2025 season, with CSK having lost four of their first five matches.